


Robbers

by maplestreet



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, and to compensate we need the painful parts too, oh sure there are alot of happy parts!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-01-04 17:17:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21201272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maplestreet/pseuds/maplestreet
Summary: Jungeun gets badly injured in one of her heists and ends up in Jinsol's clinic.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> i've been working on this fic for like MONTHS now. it was supposed to be a one-shot but it ended up becoming multi-chaptered ?!?!? anyway, i don't know where i'm going with this but here :\ i was being emo one night and this idea popped up in my head

After regaining consciousness, Jungeun hears a muffled voice and the subtle rustling of fabric. Her fight or flight instincts kicked in, but her body seemed to restrain her.

_ Am I… dead? _

It took nearly all she had to pry her eyes open, only to be greeted by bright white lights. Jungeun assumed she’s been out for a long time since she shut her eyes back, unfamiliar with how it felt to have beams pass through her lenses.

“You’re finally awake,” The voice said, surprised. “I didn’t think you’d get up this soon, though.”

Jungeun attempted to turn her head to see where the voice was coming from but a sharp pain struck through her skull and made her flinch the moment she moved a muscle. Jesus, how hard was she hit?

“You might not want to make sudden movements. Your head was seriously injured. Do you even remember anything?”

_ Does _she remember anything?

Jungeun remembers planning a heist, executing said heist, heist succeeded and the stone was—

“Fuck!” Forgetting what the woman had said about her head, Jungeun sits up just as fast as she fell back down to bed in agony. 

“I just told you,” Jungeun hears a click and the sound of scratching against a rough surface, the woman must be writing something down. “If you’re looking for your things, don’t worry. I didn’t touch anything and it’s safe inside a compartment under the bed.”

Slowly letting her sight adjust to the strange setting she was in, Jungeun took a breath. 

It was a white room furnished with white ceramic tiles and powder blue painted walls. The smell of ethyl alcohol that she was so accustomed to prominent in the air she breathed.

Once her vision was slightly clearer, she looked around for the woman who apparently nursed her back to health. Actually—_ nursing _. 

Her eyes moved to the left and saw nothing but plastic white boxes labeled with words she couldn’t really see. To her right was a tall figure wearing a white lab coat, blonde hair up in a bun; she must be the woman from earlier unless there was someone else in the room, which Jungeun thinks is unlikely. 

The blonde had her back towards Jungeun as she leaned on the deep blue, granite counter. Probably doing some weird medical stuff Jungeun wouldn’t understand.

“Where am I?” She managed to croak. “Who are you?”

“In my clinic,” The blonde said in a matter-of-factly tone. “I’m Jung Jinsol, the only doctor you’ll see within a fifty mile radius. We’re technically in the middle of nowhere.” 

“Great,” Jungeun groaned, sarcasm evident in her tone. 

“You’re welcome. Taking care of you for a week and a half was no big deal at all. Not like I wanted gratitude. Nope. Never asked for it!” 

_ A week and a half? _

She was out for a week and a half?

Jungeun didn’t think her injuries were that bad but apparently they were. The last time she got so beaten up, it only took her three days to recover. 

“I was out that long?” 

“Yeah,” Jinsol said without looking at Jungeun, rummaging through each and every canister on the counter. “You snore a lot, too. I could hear it all the way upstairs.”

“Sure I do.” 

Something about this stranger didn’t pose a threat to Jungeun, and that confused her. Literally, she could be those crazy doctors who kidnap people to harvest their organs and sell them to the black market. 

But she didn’t seem like it and Jungeun wasn’t complaining (things would have been more complicated if that were the case). At least for now, she could rest easy.

“I don’t usually have the kind of supplies needed for your condition so... I have to go to the drugstore but I don’t think I can leave you alone just yet.”

Jinsol checked the wall-mounted cabinets above the counter. She reached for a clear bottle with green liquid and inspected the label.

“This isn’t expiring any time soon, we can use it,” Jinsol set the bottle down on the counter.

The evidently tired doctor turned around to Jungeun’s direction and met her eyes. 

“Your leg was horribly twisted when I found you so it’s a miracle I didn’t need to amputate it. It’s gonna take more than a few months to get it to heal properly, though.”

“A few _ months?” _ Jungeun dipped her brows. “I need to leave _ now _. I don’t have a few months.”

Jinsol scoffed. “Go ahead. See if your fractured shin and infected wounds will let you.”

A loud crash from the next room stopped Jungeun from arguing any further. Judging from the metal-like racket, the noise must have come from the kitchen.

“Oh no,” Jinsol ran-hopped to the door and pointed a finger at Jungeun, as if it were enough to intimidate the bed-ridden criminal. “Don’t do anything funny.” 

Jinsol disappeared into the hallway, leaving Jungeun in the empty room with nothing but a throbbing in her head and a gripping pain on her side.

The brunette sighed.

Her situation was a complete mess. The only good thing about it was that Sooyoung didn’t tag along with her to execute the mission and end up dead like the others. 

God, what if Sooyoung thinks _ she’s _dead?

She’s always been the only person Jungeun’s really trusted in her life. Sooyoung was like an older sister to her of some sort; she’s always had Jungeun’s back since the day they became literal partners in crime. 

And Jungeun was sure if she told Sooyoung what really happened she would believe her; but even if Jungeun had someone to back her up, one person wasn’t enough to convince everyone else.

She knew she’d be done for. Even if she tried to explain herself, they would never listen. 

The mission was a failure and she was the only survivor. Not to mention she ran off with the stone in her possession. 

It looked too much like betrayal. 

The Black Butterfly is a gang of blood-thirsty bounty hunters who know no mercy. If they found Jungeun right now, her life wouldn’t be the only one in danger. 

Now, she doesn’t normally care about anyone except herself, but she felt indebted to Jinsol for not leaving her to die.

Sure, Jungeun was a criminal. But at least she was a criminal with the slightest bit of conscience. 

“Sorry about that. I was—what are you doing?” 

Jungeun had carefully sat up from the bed and began pulling off the wires that were connected to her body, fighting the pain coursing through her. She should’ve felt alarmed that Jinsol was already about to restrain her, but Jungeun continued. 

“You don’t understand. You shouldn’t be helping me.”

“I’m a doctor, that’s what I do.”

Jinsol grabbed Jungeun’s wrists and held them in a lock. She was surprised to find herself struggling against Jungeun’s strength, given she was in a frail state. 

“You’re making a mistake, _ doctor _. You can’t involve yourself with me.” 

“That’s my decision to make and I say I’m going to help you,” Jinsol stared into Jungeun’s eyes with fiery determination. “You think I studied nearly ten years for nothing? Jesus, they stationed me where civilization doesn’t even exist. Who am I supposed to give medications to? The plants? I’m a surgeon, not a botanist!” 

Jungeun stared back at the blonde and she shouldn’t be thinking about how rich Jinsol’s brown eyes were while blabbering about photosynthesis and sciencey stuff, but she was. 

“I can handle myself,” Jungeun tried to break free from Jinsol’s grip.

“People like you are just—“ Jinsol muttered, releasing Jungeun’s wrists from her hold. “You need help but you don’t want help.” 

“I don’t need help,” Jungeun scoffed and continued to unhinge herself from the apparatuses that stuck to her. 

Jinsol stepped back from the hospital bed and crossed her arms. “Fine.”

After taking the last piece of equipment off of her, Jungeun smirked at Jinsol, claiming victory (it was more of a ‘thank you’ but Jungeun wasn’t very good at expressing herself). She propped herself up with her arms and moved her legs to the side of the bed, prepared to step on the tiled floor of the room. 

“Look, you really—“

“I’m _ fine, _” Jungeun retorted. 

The moment Jungeun’s feet hit the surface of the floor, she lifted herself off the bed, not noticing the cast wrapped around her foot, and slipped. She yelped in pain as her body slammed against the cold ceramic. 

“Oh god,” Jinsol hurriedly crouched down to tend to Jungeun, whose vision started to spin like crazy. “If you’d just listened!” 

Jungeun’s eyes burned. She felt something sticky ooze out of her side, turning her hospital gown from light blue to a bright red.

With cautious motions, Jinsol slid her right arm around Jungeun’s waist and the other her legs, practically bridal-styling Jungeun back to the thin mattress. 

Still gritting her teeth in pain, Jungeun breathes fast and heavy as beads of sweat trickled down from her forehead to her jaw. Her body felt like it was on fire and everything was spinning all over the place she swore the horizon had already disappeared. 

“Calm down! Hey! Breathe slowly!” Jinsol yelled through the high-pitched sound Jungeun was hearing. “I’m giving you a shot of anesthesia, just calm down!”

A needle pricked Jungeun’s skin, though she barely felt anything since the pain in her leg took too much of her focus. The blood-curling burn she felt a few seconds ago was slowly being drowned by the cold flow of the drug seeping through her. 

“You’re the worst doctor ever,” Jungeun whispered through ragged breaths, her body getting number with each gasp. 

“I’m not. I actually graduated with honors, y’know? It’s _ you _who’s the worst patient,” Jinsol rolled her eyes and began hooking the monitoring device wires back to Jungeun’s body. “Sadly, I think I’m gonna be stuck with you for another month because you decided to be stupid.”

“Isn’t it illegal to insult your patient?”

“Do you ever shut up?”

“I’m suing you.”

“Good luck with that.”

“How would I know you’re a good doctor? You could be one of those weirdos who sell organs to the black market or kidnap random people to make them test subjects.”

“Please go to sleep. I still have to fix the cut on your hip that you so kindly reopened.”

“I’m not tired,” Jungeun cocked a brow, though she could already tell she was about to slip into deep slumber in a matter of seconds. The anaesthetic was already starting to hit her. 

“Hi, Not Tired! I’m Jinsol,” The thirty-four year old doctor teased, untangling the mess Jungeun had done to her thousand dollar paraphernalia. “And I’m most definitely not the evil doctor you see in sci-fi movies.”

“You suck.”

And just like that, Jungeun’s eyes fall heavy and she dozed off. 

—

Rubber soles on varnished wood and yelling jolted Jungeun awake. Her head felt better and the cut on her hip was all cleaned up, not to mention she wasn’t in agonizing pain anymore.

She could hear Jinsol’s voice echoing throughout the house (was it a house?), yelling a name she isn’t familiar with. Jungeun stared at the white ceiling, wondering if another person lived here.

  
Another life at risk.

As much as she loved the thrill of danger, she didn’t like it when innocent lives start to get involved.

Jungeun drowned further in her thoughts, recalling her earliest memories. She didn’t exactly have the perfect childhood—hell, she didn’t even _ have _a childhood. 

By the time she learned how to walk and comprehend simple problems, the older members have already begun teaching her how to steal food from the stash. It was as if they raised her by following the Raise An Evil Baby handbook.

It was so natural to her that she didn’t know it was “bad” until she saw herself on national television with a bounty beside her name days after a successful heist. 

A sigh escaped her lips.

She’s never complained about her life, but Jungeun still wonders how different things would have been if she had a normal one. She’d probably go to school, get a degree and accomplish her life-long dream of becoming an astronaut; exploring the undiscovered places beyond earth, researching otherworldly species, landing on the moon, so on and so forth.

But sometimes you don’t really get what you want.

Jungeun fell too deep into her memories she almost didn’t realize how dry her throat was.

She tried to look for refreshments in the room, but the only thing she saw was a girl most likely not older than six with striking purple hair. If Jungeun was confused then, she was deadass even _ more _confused now. 

“Mama told me not to come in here, but I wanted to make sure you weren’t lonely,” The girl whispered, enthusiasm painted on her face. “Please don’t tell her.”

“What on earth...”

“I’m Yerim! What’s your name?”

“Um… “

“Are you a bad guy? My mom thinks you’re a bad guy.” 

Panic took over Jungeun’s body, she froze. Where was Jinsol? Is this kid supposed to serve as a distraction while she called the cops? 

No. Jungeun was _ sure _her identity remained in the shadows during their heists. She made certain none of the distinguishable parts of her body would be exposed in case they’d be flashed on the news. There was no way Jinsol could have found out about who she really was. 

“How do you—“

“But you wanna know a secret? I don’t think you are. I think Mama just wanted to scare me so I would go to bed,” The little girl put her hands on her mouth and giggled.

The little girl’s naivety annoyed Jungeun. She was never the type to get along with children and she didn’t plan on correcting that either.

“Yerim!” Jinsol storms into the room and scoops the little girl in her arms. “There you are! I thought I told you not to disturb our patient.”

“But Mama she might be lonely,” Yerim pouted, giving Jinsol a dose of her irresistible puppy eyes. “No one else is here to stay with her.”

Jinsol pouted back, but Yerim stayed superior. “She’s not lonely, Yerim. I check on her every once in a while.”

“Hello? What’s going on?” Jungeun butts into the conversation, but was ignored as white noise. 

“Don’t leave her alone, okay?” Small hands cup Jinsol’s face.

The blonde hesitates. 

“I won’t,” Jinsol sets Yerim down and gives her a quick pat on the head before telling her to go on ahead to the living room. 

The sight baffled Jungeun. She’s never seen anything so awfully domestic in her whole life. 

In fact, she’s never experienced anything domestic at all. Everyone in her life never expressed the typical kind of affection normal people displayed. The closest she got was when she was starved for five days instead of being killed for making a minor mistake. 

Fun, right?

Everything had to be done so ruthlessly and emotionlessly to help keep them from getting distracted or attached. It wasn’t hard for Jungeun, since she was trained during her developing years but she’s seen other members nearly go mad at how horrible this ‘training’ was. 

“So, you’re married?” She breaks the silence to catch Jinsol’s attention.

An awkward laugh was the blonde’s response. “No, I’m not. I took Yerim in when she was a baby.”

“How noble. I can never stand kids.”

“It’s not like I had much of a choice. Poor thing.” 

“Why?”

“Not a story I like telling when I’m about to give my patients their much needed medications,” Jinsol walks to the counter and pulls a drawer open, taking out a pair of tong-looking tool Jungeun doesn’t recognize. 

Silence.

Jungeun didn’t probe any further. Whatever happened, it was most likely something too personal for Jinsol to share to a complete stranger like her. And she respected that. 

“What did she mean about ‘my mom thinks you’re a bad guy’?”

Jinsol bit back a laugh. “Oh, nothing. It’s just... it’s hard to get her to fall asleep at night so I told her you were a bad guy who scares kids who don’t sleep early with your loud ass snoring.”

“Oh,” Jungeun felt relieved. 

“You ready?” With the metallic instrument in her hand, Jinsol walks towards the mattress and beside Jungeun’s legs.

“Zimzalabim?” 

“No, I’m about to take the staples off your shin,” And at that moment, Jinsol looked like an evil doctor from a psycho-horror film to Jungeun.

A cute one, perhaps.

God, how much she hated herself for thinking of the last one. 

“You’re not giving me anesthesia?” 

“It won’t hurt.”

“That’s what they all say!” 

“You’re overreacting,” The doctor inches closer. “It’s just gonna feel like ant bites.”

“Jinsol!” 

The blonde stopped in her tracks and looked at Jungeun, puzzled. 

Jokes on her, Jungeun was just as surprised. It was the first time she’s ever mentioned Jinsol’s name (a thought at the back of her mind hopes it wouldn’t be the last). 

“I find it unfair that you know my name and I don’t know yours.”

“You don’t need to,” Jungeun stuttered (she hoped Jinsol didn’t catch that).

“Well, I have to call you something,” Says Jinsol. “What do you think about ‘pussy’?”

“Oh, I like that,” Jungeun smirks. 

“_ NO! _I meant what do you think of me calling you ‘pussy’!” The older girl blushed furiously, stumbling on her words. “Since you’re so scared of this piece of metal!”

Jungeun raised a brow. 

“You know what? Nevermind,” Jinsol sighs and holds Jungeun’s leg down. 

“Hey, hey, hey! What about an—“

Before Jungeun could finish her sentence, Jinsol had already taken out a staple. And much to Jungeun’s surprise, it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would. 

Sure, there was a little sting but it wasn’t something Jungeun couldn’t tolerate. 

“See? Just like ant bites.”

“To be fair, you could die from ant bites.”

“Do your friends ever tell you how annoying you are?”

“This might sound sad but I don’t really have friends.”

“I can see why.”

“Okay, that one hurt more than an ant bite.”

Jinsol laughed and shook her head. It was the first real laugh Jungeun’s ever heard in her life and she caught herself smiling like an idiot. 

This may actually be the first normal, human interaction she’s ever had. 

“It’s Jungeun.”

“Hm?”

“My name. It’s Jungeun.” 

Jinsol mouthed an ‘oh’ and nodded slowly. “At least I don’t have to call you pussy anymore.”


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jungeun: kids suck  
also jungeun: wait i think i take that back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some soft stuff (・∀・)

A few days have passed and Jungeun was healthy enough for Jinsol to leave her and run some errands. But instead of leaving her with nothing but boredom, Jinsoul lent Jungeun a blue Gameboy Color to keep herself entertained. 

Jungeun’s never held one in real life but she _ has _seen them being advertised on television years ago. It was stupid but she actually remembered asking the head of the gang to get her one out of childish desire; of course, she never got one. 

_ “The other games are here,” Jinsol lifts up a small 10cm x 10cm carton for Jungeun to see and sets it on the table beside the bed. “I doubt all of them work, but you can try. All you have to do is make sure the device is off, pull out the cartridge and then replace it with the one you wanna play.” _

_ “This doesn’t run out of juice?” _

_ “Nah, I loaded new batteries. It’ll last a while.” _

In Jungeun’s opinion, this device was mankind’s best invention (thank you, Nintendo). The game she found most engaging was Tetris; the mechanics were simple, yet she liked how it challenges the brain to think quickly and find the perfect place for the shape to fall into. 

When she got tired of Tetris, she’d switch to Super Mario World for a chill scroller type game. Then she eventually plugged in the Pokémon: Fire Red Version, which she thought was the next best thing after Tetris. 

Even though they were basically virtual pets made up of 1s and 0s, Jungeun found herself getting attached. Out of all the Pokémon she’d encountered, it was Eevee she liked most; it reminded her of Sooyung’s codename, Yves. 

“Watcha playing?” Jungeun was startled when Yerim suddenly appeared beside her with a toothy smile. 

Does this kid have teleportation powers or what?

“Something,” Jungeun mumbled, her temper already bubbling just by the little one’s presence.

“Oh, cool! You have an Eevee!” Yerim pointed at the small screen between Jungeun’s hands. “What kinda stone are you gonna give it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t want to know. You should go play with your crayons,” She sounded a bit too immature, but Jungeun really could _ not _stand children. Something about them just pissed her off so much.

“You don’t want to evolve your Eevee?” Yerim said with an evident hint of sadness in her voice and a pout on her lips.

Jungeun paused. Swallowed her pride. Then proceeded. 

“You can evolve an Eevee?”

“Of course!” 

“With a stone?”

“Mhm!”

“How?”

“I think you can buy it somewhere and then let your Pokémon hold it. I remember Mama was telling me about this store in a city…”

Jungeun was _ determined _to see her Eevee grow, and with Yerim’s degree in Pokémon Gaming, she knew she’d be able to.

The unlikely duo spent hours playing the game together. Even though Jungeun was significantly older, Yerim was the one showing her the ropes. 

Again, Jungeun never liked children. In all honesty, she didn’t like Yerim when she first saw her but somehow, with the help of a Nintendo game, the kid was starting to grow on her.

…

“Must be exhausting training all those Pokémon, huh?” 

Jungeun blinked her eyes open and saw Jinsol with a sleeping Yerim in her arms standing beside the bed. “What time is it?” 

“A little past seven,” Jinsol glanced at her watch. “Sorry I took so long. I stopped by a diner because I knew I wouldn’t have time to make dinner when I got home.” 

“No need to apologize. I wasn’t that hungry anyway.” 

“I hope Yerim didn’t bother you.”

“Not at all. She was alright… I guess.” 

“You guess?” Jinsol grinned. “You told me you couldn’t stand children.”

“I mean—I don’t know. She helped me evolve my Eevee so…”

Jinsol laughed softly, careful not to wake Yerim. “You let a six year old help you evolve your Pokémon?” 

“To be fair, I have never played video games before!” 

The two argued about the game for a few minutes until Jinsol finally decided she should tuck Yerim in before continuing the conversation. “I’ll be back with food in a bit.”

Jungeun rolled her eyes and sighed. She felt bad Jinsol’s been spending so much on her and there was no way for Jungeun to repay everything she’s done. And the fact that her presence here brings more danger to both Jinsol and Yerim’s lives made her feel sicker.

She’s only been consciously living with them for a few days, but Jungeun felt the need to keep them safe and she couldn’t understand why. It wasn’t out of obligation, there wasn’t a particular reason as to why she didn’t want to see any of them get hurt. 

The feeling was different compared to her not wanting her gang members to get wounded in a fight or a mission; she realized she didn’t want them injured because it would get in the way of their plan, not because she cared about their wellbeing.

Confusion struck Jungeun. 

Were her beliefs slowly being compromised? Was this how it felt to be normal? To be human?

The existential crisis was hitting her so hard she felt dizzy. 

“Hey, I’m back,” The door creaked open and the smell of nearly burnt meat took over the room.

“God, what is that smell?”

“Okay, it’s not the best burger steak out there but it’s all we have.”

Jinsol took out the cardboard food containers along with the disposable utensils and set them on the overbed table for her and Jungeun. She grabbed the water pitcher on the bedside table and poured a glass for each of them. 

“I’m not so good with expressing gratitude but I appreciate all… this,” Jungeun says awkwardly. “Like, really. I’m sorry for troubling you.”

“Don’t go all soft on me,” Jinsol teased. “I still hate you for reopening your wound the other day. That took me awhile to stitch back.”

Jungeun chuckled. “Sorry about that, too.”

“So,” Jinsol took a bite off of her steak. “Are we close enough to ask each other’s backstories now or are you gonna keep up with your I’m-so-mysterious façade?”

“I think I could spill a few things. Where do you wanna start?”

It was surprisingly easy to open up to Jinsol—as if Jungeun felt the _ need _to. 

“I wanna know just how on earth you ended up half-dead behind my house.”

“Oh,” Yeah, Jungeun was definitely not going to tell Jinsol she’s a criminal with a bounty on her head. “Let’s just say I got into an accident in the middle of nowhere and fell into some river.”

“That’s it?” Jinsol raised a brow.

“That’s it.”

“Well, that’s a bit disappointing. I thought you’d have something more exciting like running away from policemen after stealing a random national treasure,” Jinsol was laughing but Jungeun felt her entire body stiffen; she knew it was a joke but it hit too close to home.

“I wish my life was that interesting but sadly I just have an insane amount of bad luck,” Jungeun clicked her tongue. “How about you? Why are you so far away from civilization?”

Jinsol took a sip from her glass. “Actually, I won’t be staying for too long. I was temporarily stationed here to research about an herb that could help in surgery. I’d explain everything to you but it’s all just boring chemistry stuff.”

“Did you have a say in this?” Jungeun was genuinely curious if Jinsol was willing to stay here all by herself, because if she was then she’d probably win the Most Introverted Person Award. 

“I volunteered, yeah. All of my peers were in relationships so I took one for the team, but that’s okay because the pay is incredible and I’m only staying here for another year. Plus, I have Yerim with me so it’s not that lonely,” Jinsol smiled melancholically. 

“Can I ask about Yerim?” She was hesitant at first, but Jungeun has been itching to know about this. 

“No fair, it’s my turn now! I’ll answer your question after mine,” The doctor pointed at Jungeun. “Let’s go with the basic ‘where are you from’?”

“It’s seriously funny how you’d just take care of a random stranger who could possibly turn their back against you,” Jungeun shook her head.

“Will you turn your back against me?” 

Jinsol’s innocent eyes locked onto Jungeun’s. They were the kind of eyes that has never seen the worst of the worst, Jungeun felt ashamed just looking at them. 

“No,” She replied. “I won’t.”

“That’s nice to hear, then.” 

“Also, I don’t know exactly where I’m from. I’ve been an orphan for as long as I can remember,” Jungeun shrugged and sliced her burger steak in half. “I uh… grew up in an orphanage until it was time for me to leave.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jinsol said quickly. 

“It’s fine, it doesn’t bother me at all,” The brunette scrunched her nose. 

“This got awkward.”

“Then, break the awkwardness by telling me about Yerim,” Jungeun responded cleverly.

The older girl laughed. “You really want to know?”

Jungeun shook her head up and down. “If that’s okay.”

“Well,” Jinsol collected her thoughts. “It happened four years ago, in the middle of the night. I was about to head upstairs when suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.”

“I bet you were scared shitless.”

“Of course I was! I live in the middle of nowhere and I don’t have neighbors!” 

The girls laughed.

“Anyway, I put up a brave face and went to check it out because what if it was an emergency? I’m a doctor, I can’t just use the ‘I was scared’ excuse.”

Jungeun found herself drawn to Jinsol’s story. She didn’t know if it was the story itself or if it was the way Jinsol told it. Or, if it was just Jinsol.

“When I opened the door, there was a baby all buckled up in a bloodied child safety seat and a man lying facedown on the floor with blood stains all over.”

“Oh, shit,” The younger girl pursed her lips together in a thin line; shame and guilt washed over her for her negative first impression on the poor kid. “Jinsol, you don’t have to if it’s too much.”

But the blonde insisted. 

“Yerim’s parents had gotten into a car accident just a few blocks before my house. I took both her and her father into the clinic and called for help immediately. I tried to bring him back but it was too late, ” A sigh. “Everything after that was a blur. All I knew was, I legally took Yerim in as my own.”

“God, I can’t imagine that,” Jungeun’s been through a lot of traumatic experiences but she tries to forget everything that was tied to it; but for Jinsol, Yerim was literally the living reminder of that night yet that didn’t bother her at all. “I don’t know what to say but it’s great how you stepped up for Yerim.”

“To be honest, I still don’t know why I did it,” Jinsol rubbed her neck sheepishly. “I was thirty and had just begun my career, I didn’t know the first step to parenting! But I don’t regret it. Yerim’s the best thing in my life; I would do anything for that kid.”

Jungeun smiled. She’s been smiling a lot every time she’s with Jinsol, actually. 

She wasn’t used to feeling this happy, but she wasn’t complaining. The emotion felt… nice. 

“Man, that was heavy,” Jinsol took a deep breath and clapped her hands to break the atmosphere. 

“Believe me, it’s not the worst.”

Jinsol narrowed her eyes, a mischievous grin on her lips. “You seem like you have a lot to tell.”

“I do, but some other time,” Jungeun smirked.

“I look forward to it.”

Jinsol stood up and collected the food containers. The taste of cheaply made burger steak suddenly didn’t bother Jungeun anymore (it may actually be her favorite thing now).

After cleaning up, Jinsol did one more run through on Jungeun’s injuries before bidding her a good night. 

It didn’t mean much—it wasn’t supposed to mean much.

But why was her heart beating so fast?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt: @lipsouluvr  
cc: @lovecherrylipse  



	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In another chapter of: Jungeun Getting Softer and Softer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i fixed jinsol's age hhhhh she's 34 now! it makes more sense that way (T⌓T) i clearly dont do research rioghrughrghu

Hours turned to days and days turned into weeks. At this point, Jungeun was treated more like a relative staying over rather than a patient. 

Her leg healed enough for Jungeun to finally get out of bed and be able to walk with crutches in short distances.

The first thing she was supposed to do was to check if the stone was still in her bag, which Jinsol kindly kept in a compartment. But weirdly enough, Jungeun didn’t want to have anything to do with it at the moment. 

Jungeun thought there was no harm in leaving it alone for now; she didn’t want to deal with the stress and anxiety that would smack her once she sees the small, rugged duffel bag. She shrugged off everything that related to the heist, the gang, and the accident. 

She walked out of the room she spent basically forever in and was shocked to see how spacious the house actually is.

From the clinic, there was a hallway before entering the main part of the house; the living room was furnished with a mid-century modern couch, a glass finish coffee table, and a flat screen TV. At the other end of the space was an open archway (which Jungeun assumed was the kitchen and dining area), a wooden door, and a minimally-designed staircase that lead to the second floor.

“I know what you’re gonna say,” Jinsol raised her brows and narrowed her eyes. “These came with the perks of taking up the job. My bank account isn’t that pretty at the moment.”

“I was gonna ask who the interior designer was because they did a great job.”

If Jungeun were still her typical hostile self, she was sure Jinsol would’ve already been chokeslammed on the floor after she playfully punched Jungeun on the shoulder. But Jungeun wasn’t hostile anymore, she was just palpitating as if she just took five shots of espresso. 

This isn’t the first time Jinsol’s been particularly touchy with her yet Jungeun still hasn’t gotten used to the newfound intimacy they shared. She doesn’t know when it started but she  _ does  _ remember almost every interaction.

One time, Jinsol was in a really bad mood after getting a call from one of her co-researchers and she just went into the clinic while Jungeun was reading Yerim a Berenstain Bears story. The little girl was quick to notice the unusual aura her mother had so she dove in for a hug tight hug; Jungeun felt like she was intruding the moment but the next thing she knew Jinsol had already leaned onto her, sandwiching Yerim in between (she seemed to enjoy being cuddled in both sides, though).

It wasn’t the start of it all but Jungeun thinks it was the turning point. Ever since that happened, she couldn’t stop but feel extra conscious every time Jinsol was around. 

“Hey, Jinsol,” Jungeun said slowly.

“Yeah?” 

“I really have to pay you back somehow.”

“Jungeun, we’ve been through this. There’s no need,” As reassuring as Jinsol’s smile looked, Jungeun still wanted to give back even just a little.

“I know I’m legless right now and I can only ever use one hand when standing up but I can still do some stuff,” She didn’t lie; years of crazy training prepared Jungeun for desperate situations. “Just tell me what I can physically do and I’ll do it.”

“That’s real sweet of you, but it’s okay! You don’t have to worry about me.” 

“Remember when my stubborn ass didn’t want your help and I reopened that deep cut on my hip?”

“This situation is different!”

“Jinsol, every time you check up on me you always look so stressed.”

“Hey, rude!”

“I didn’t mean it that way! You still look pretty but you need rest.”

_ SHIT. _

There was a discernible halt in the conversation before Jinsol quietly spoke again. “Did you just say I’m pretty?”

“What? No. I said you still pretty much need rest.” 

Jungeun was totally dead; she was sure enough that Jinsol clearly heard what she said but fuck it. She kept a straight face and nonchalantly carried on with her alibi.

“No, no. You  _ definitely  _ said I was pretty,” Jinsol teased further. “Do you have a crush on me?”

Unbelievable. This bitch was over thirty with a Medical Degree but she still spoke like a fucking middleschooler. 

“Get your head out of your ass, Jung Jinsol!” Jungeun feigned a cringing face and walked away. 

“You do!”

“I do not!”

In the midst of their argument, Yerim sprints down from upstairs and yells for her mother. “Mama! Mama, look!”

Jinsol went from giggly teenager to Panic Mode Mom in a snap. “What is it? Are you hurt? Are you wounded?”

“Noooooooo,” She shook her purple head and whined. 

“I’ve always wondered, is her hair natural or what?” Jungeun inched closer to whisper into Jinsol’s ear.

“Ah, no. I collected some herbs and studied their properties. Yerim accidentally spilled one of the test tubes that had purple dye so… yeah, you get it. It’s not dangerous and it’s completely organic,” Jinsol winked.

“You could start a business with that.”

“Huh, you’re right.”

“Mama!” Yerim tugged on Jinsol’s lab coat with her free hand, demanding for her mother’s attention. 

“Yes, baby?” 

The six year old motioned for Jinsol to crouch to her level, excited to share the amazing discovery she’d just encountered. Jungeun could see the fear and hesitation in Jinsol’s eyes as they looked over to Yerim’s clenched fist _ . _

“I made a friend!”

“Friend?”

The worst thing that came to Jinsol’s mind was Yerim talking to some evil spirit in the house planning to possess and kill everybody. 

But apparently, it was even worse than that. 

Yerim takes Jinsol’s hand and unclenched her fist, placing a live cockroach on Jinsol’s palm. Jungeun’s eyes shot wide open, shifting form Jinsol to Yerim at every one second interval. 

“Oh,” Jinsol’s voice shook but she stayed completely frozen as the pest crawls in circles. “That’s… very nice…” 

“I think I’m going to name it Steve!” Yerim scoops Steve back into her hands and runs back up, leaving Jinsol still crouching on the floor. 

Jungeun takes a step closer and nudges her lightly. “You okay?”

It took Jinsol a few seconds to reply, her eyes staring blankly at nothing. “Yeah… I think so. Let me just… get my hand sanitizer.” 

Jungeun knew the poor woman wasn’t going to get over this any time soon. Yerim is cute and all but the kid’s literally too friendly and innocent for her own good. 

“My offer’s still up there, just so you know,” Jungeun reminds. 

“If it’s not too much for you,” Sighed Jinsol. “That would be great.”

— 

A few days after Jinsol agreed to Jungeun’s helping hand, things became a more convenient routine for both parties. 

During the mornings, Jinsol would pick the necessary herbs needed for her research while Jungeun took care of Yerim and made breakfast with her assistance. Cooking with one hand wasn’t a problem for her and she was pretty confident in her skills; the challenging part was making sure Yerim didn’t accidentally hurt herself with literally any kind of utensil found in the kitchen. 

Even if she was part of a sadistic gang of thieves and murderers, it was unexpectedly in Jungeun’s nature to take care of people. She didn’t do it in the most obvious ways, but the thought was there. 

She’d sometimes take her guarding shift earlier if she knew one of the members wasn’t feeling well and “scold” them for doing such a terrible job; sometimes she would pretend to dislike the food served and give it to the ones who were at the lower part of the gang hierarchy because they “deserve to eat shit” when Jungeun’s really just giving them more food because the poor guys were being starved.

But of course, the people Jungeun dealt with back then were grown people, not six year olds. Never in her life has she experienced babysitting (unless babysitting meant to save the helpless members’ asses after they’ve done something dumb).

“Yerim, no! That’s not a backscratcher, that’s a cheese grater!” Jungeun frantically limped towards the purple-headed girl and snatched the tool away before limping back to the gas range. 

“Aw, no fun,” Yerim crossed her arms and stuck a tongue out. 

“Yeah, your back bleeding from scratches  _ and  _ tetanus aren’t fun either,” She mumbled. “Go sit at the table. The food’s almost done.” 

Yerim followed obediently despite her pouting face. “Fiiiiine.”

As Jungeun moved the meals from the pans to the plates, she observed Yerim. The way she hunched her back and leaned on the table with her chin resting on her arms gave Jungeun the impression that there was something bothering her.

The problem was: Jungeun didn’t know how to address it. 

Fuck, did she scold her too harshly? Did Jungeun accidentally hurt her when she grabbed the cheese grater? Did she accidentally let out her rough, gang personality on poor, innocent Yerim?

Babysitting was starting to give Jungeun anxious thoughts. (Maybe this what parenting is like, too?)

She liked taking care of people, yes; but Jungeun  _ hated  _ direct affection. As in the gross, cheesy “are you okay?” kind of affection where she has to pat someone on the back for reassurance.

It’s not that she’s heartless, it’s just that all her life, those acts were always seen as some sort of weakness and it physically pained her to imagine herself doing it. Not even Yerim’s extremely adorable self was enough to make Jungeun lower her pride. 

“Wow, it’s cold out there,” Jinsol hops into the dining room from the backdoor and rubs her arms. “Hey, that smells great. What is that?” 

Oh, thank god. At least now Jinsol could be the one to deal with this. 

“Uh, it’s really just omelettes with a bunch of spices—no biggie.” 

“Looks and smells good, though.” 

Jinsol’s height gave her the leverage to lean over Jungeun’s shoulder and take a peek at what the younger girl was preparing, pushing Jungeun’s mind to go into overdrive with the diminutive space between their bodies. God, what a shift in emotions; she was just worried about Yerim a few seconds ago.

Jungeun didn’t know how long Jinsol stood there but it felt like  _ ages  _ until she finally walked over to the table and noticed her daughter’s mood. “Hey, Fruit Bat. What’s wrong?” 

It wasn’t the right situation, yet Jungeun couldn’t help but think about how that was her favorite nickname Jinsol made for Yerim. The story behind it was that Yerim jumped out of Jinsol’s arms to grab a mango hanging from a branch when they went to buy fresh fruits at the farm.

“I can’t find Steve,” Yerim murmured against her arm. 

Jinsol shivered from head to toe at the familiar name but being a parent, she had to understand and validate Yerim’s feelings. “I’m sorry, Yerim.”

“Mama, can you please help me find him?” 

“Baby, he could be anywhere. Cockroaches are very tiny.”

“He might have left the house, too,” Jungeun added, which made Yerim’s eyes start to water and her frown sadder. “Okay, I’ll shut up from now on.”

“Mama, pleeeaaase help me find him. I know you have to do your doctor work but Steve is my best friend and I’m worried bad guys might hurt him!” 

“Oh, no no. Don’t cry!” Jinsol took Yerim in for a hug. “Alright, we’ll find him. Jungeun can help, too.” 

“Really?” Jungeun and Yerim said in unison.

“Jinsol, I don’t have a leg!” 

“You have the other one. Come on, it’s not gonna take long.”

“Yeah, Jungie! With your help, we can find Steve faster!” 

Jungie? 

_ Jungie? _

“Jungie?” Jungeun repeated. 

“It’s your nickname,” Yerim giggled. “I have tons so it’s your turn to have nicknames!” 

“Hey, that’s kinda cute!” 

And that was all it took to convince Jungeun to help Yerim look for Steve.

“Okay, okay,” The one legged chef surrendered. “But breakfast first. I’m not letting my work of art go to waste!”

“You said it was just omelettes,” Jinsol raised a smug brow. 

“Artistic omelettes.”

Jinsol grinned at Jungeun’s remark but shook her head in disappointment. The only person Jungeun was ever comfortable joking around with was Sooyoung, but it seems Jinsol’s effect on her was growing day by day.

_ Haha. _

_ Fuck. _

—

“Not here!” Jungeun yelled across the yard, putting down the moldy piece of log that she lifted with one arm to check if that damned Steve was under it. 

It was a relatively colder morning. All three of them had to be bundled up in two layers to keep warm; Jungeun was surprised Jinsol agreed to this idea, considering she was so protective of Yerim and her health (duh, she’s a doctor).

“We can’t find him here, too!” Jinsol yelled back.

A rush of cold wind swept through the backyard and made Jungeun’s teeth chatter. By the looks of the dark skies, it was about to rain soon. 

“Jinsol, I think we need to head back. It’s gonna—”

“Mama, look!” The sound of Yerim’s enthusiastic scream was a sign that they were almost through with this. 

With one out of two legs, Jungeun did her best to rush towards Jinsol and Yerim without tripping on the uneven terrain. At least now the “Find the Missing Cockroach Agenda” was about to come to an end and they can finally get warm inside the house. 

“Steve is a… girl?” Yerim tilts her head sideways, confused. 

Jungeun wasn’t sure what made Yerim say that until she saw for herself the repulsive sight of a cockroach’s nest and stopped herself from gagging. It was so disgustingly ugly that Jinsol immediately carried Yerim in her arms and stayed a good two meters away from the atrocity the moment she saw it. 

Yerim didn’t struggle to break free from Jinsol as someone would expect from a child who finally found something they’ve been looking for. Instead, she was looking wistfully at the hideous pest because she’s accepted that Jinsol would never allow her to bring that thing back into their home.

“Mama,” The little girl said softly. “You don’t want me to bring Steve back, do you?”

Jinsol sighs. The situation was presumably childish, of course; but whatever was going to happen after this moment will have a life-changing effect on Yerim. 

This was going to shape her idea of loss and how to cope with it. Jinsol was careful with formulating her words because she did not want to mess this up. 

“Yerim,” She set the six year old down on the ground and kneeled to stay in level with Yerim’s eyes. “Some things can’t stay with us forever and we have to learn how to let go.”

“But what if I don’t want to let go?”

“You usually wouldn’t want to at first,” Jinsol smiles, though Jungeun could see the sadness behind it. “But eventually, you will and you’ll move on.”

“I just don’t want Steve to be hurt and lonely. She’s my best friend.”

“She won’t. I’m sure even Steve will move on with her life. Plus, she has her babies now; she won’t be alone.”

“Just like you have me, Mama?” Yerim looked up at her mother with wet eyes and a runny nose.

“Just like I have you, baby.”

“Oh and Jungie, too!” 

“Uh, I’m good,” Jungeun awkwardly does a thumbs up and forces a smile. 

It took her by surprise, but she appreciated the kid.

Suddenly, it wasn’t so cold anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt: @lipsouluvr  
cc: @lovecherrylipse  



	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungeun gets a new look. Jinsol is a useless gay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if im honest it's just bickering and whipped culture

“Looks like you’re recovering faster than expected,” Jinsol shifted through the pages of Jungeun’s medical records, observing her progress over the past couple weeks. “At this pace, you’ll be able to get out a month and a half earlier. Maybe even a month.” 

Jungeun thought that was good. The sooner she got out of here, the better and the safer Jinsol and Yerim would be.

But deep in her gut was a bittersweet feeling she didn’t like. 

She hated to admit that she didn’t want to leave, but she couldn’t just stay there forever and be a burden to Jinsol _ and _put her life in danger.

Some part of her wanted to tell Jinsol the truth. She knew it would be better off that way and if Jinsol decides to kick her out, which Jungeun wouldn’t be surprised if she did, it would be the best for both of them.

“That’s great,” She says, unable to mask the subtle disappointment in her tone. “At least I don’t have to deal with your crazy metal tools anymore.”

Jinsol chuckled softly, attempting to hide from the same glum truth they both had to face. “Yeah, I guess.”

Silence wrapped the room. 

“So,” Jinsol started, almost stumbling over her words. “my brother’s gonna be coming over.”

Jungeun was puzzled at the sudden shift in topic. “You have a brother?”

“Yeah! A twin brother to be exact. He comes over every once in a while to take care of Yerim while I go ‘relieve stress’,” Jinsol made imaginary quotation marks with her fingers. 

“Ew, you ask your brother to cover you for your pussy appointments?”

“What the—no!” The doctor shoved Jungeun playfully. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be pussy appointments! I could just be out walking along the beach and getting some sun! Normal, PG-13 stuff!”

Jinsol’s reaction was funny enough to send Jungeun into uncontrollable laughter. "So it doesn’t necessarily _ have _ to be but it _ could _be?”

“Why do your jokes _ always _have to be sexual?”

“Hey, they’re not!”

Jinsol rolled her eyes, obviously not buying Jungeun’s debate. 

“Whatever. I’m going out tomorrow. You should tag along,” Jungeun raised a brow at Jinsol’s remark. “For health reasons, obviously! It’s ideal for you to get some exercise—get your feet moving again.”

Jinsol adds the next sentence nervously. Jungeun found it adorable and the offer was extremely enticing. 

Her and Jinsol going out? 

Alone?

As much as she wanted to go, Jungeun was too worried about getting caught. 

What if a Black Butterfly member was out in the open looking for her? What if she lets her guard down for a second and Jinsol gets hurt?

“Jungeun,” Jinsol placed a hand on Jungeun’s shoulder. “You still there?”

“Yeah,” Jungeun snaps out of her daze. “The meds are kicking in.”

“Right. Antibiotics can mess you up sometimes,” The older woman scratched her cheek. “Um, so… if you wanna go tomorrow—”

“I’ll think about it,” Jungeun cuts her off.

The look of worry was clear on Jinsol’s face. Jungeun figured Jinsol must have felt too forward.

“Hey no pressure, alright?” Jinsol puts a reassuring hand on Jungeun’s shoulder. “If you don’t feel like your leg can’t handle it, it’s fine.” 

“It’s not that, it’s just…” The brunette trails off. “I don’t like places where there are barely any people.”

Lies.

If there was anything else that Jungeun liked more than Jinsol, it was quiet places with no one in it. But in this case, it was the perfect place to hide—in plain sight. 

With hundreds of people bustling around, no nationally-known criminal in the right mind would dare step into that scene and make a fuss. It was too dangerous.

Except for Jungeun, maybe. 

She certainly hasn’t been in the right mind ever since she met Jinsol.

“That’s no problem!” Jinsol smiles, excited. “There’s this seasonal carnival by the beach close to the next city and a lot of people usually go there at this time. It’s basically a tourist destination.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” There was no reason for her to say this. She just wanted to hear Jinsol convince her to go.

“Come ooooon,” Jinsol took Jungeun’s hands in hers, slightly pulling the younger girl towards herself. “Live a little, Jungie.”

God-fucking-damn.

The way Jungeun would risk it all for a complete stranger she met just a month ago. 

Sickening. 

But Jungeun’s biased thoughts listened to Jinsol. And maybe, just_ maybe _—it was about time the universe gave her a break.

“Alright,” The younger girl nodded. “Do you happen to have any more blonde hair dye, though?”

“I think I have a few more bottles left. Why?”

If Jungeun wanted this to go smoothly, she’ll have to take extra precautionary measures to make sure nothing slips through. And changing the color of her hair to something far from her original hair color would at least confuse anyone who knew her.

“How do you think blonde would look on me?”

“I think you’d still look as great as you are now.”

There it was again. 

It was a completely normal thing a person would tell someone. 

Yet something in the way Jinsol said those words made Jungeun’s calculating mind stop and her stomach leap. The two have gotten close enough to throw compliments at each other every now and then; Jinsol was probably oblivious to whatever Jungeun was saying, but her words hit Jungeun differently.

Jungeun didn’t want to hope for nothing, but she couldn’t help it. She actually liked Jinsol more than she expected to; which is weird because in her whole thirty-two years of life, she’s never been so attached and so vulnerable around someone. 

Sure, Sooyoung was the closest person she had but they had their limits. They were raised to get rid of any human emotion so doing anything relatively affectionate was immediately like committing a sin to them. 

But with Jinsol… Jungeun felt like she could just let loose for a while.

“You think I’d look like a hot blonde with a cast around my leg?” Jungeun feigned offense with a dramatic hand on her chest.

“Yes. And I think you’d look even hotter if your other leg had a cast, too. And your whole body. You’d look like a mummy.” 

“You’re mean.”

Jinsol laughed as she helped Jungeun out of the hospital bed and handed her her crutches. “So, are you going?”

A smirk formed on Jungeun’s lips. 

“Do you want me to?” 

“I said if you wanted to!”

“Yeah but—” With a strange surge of confidence, Jungeun moved dangerously closer to Jinsol. “Do _ you _want me to?”

They stared at each other for a moment, trying to read what either of them was thinking. Jinsol might be a bit of a talker but Jungeun doesn’t actually know “know” much about her despite her sagas of getting chased by a barn owl who accused her for stealing its food. 

“I do,” The blonde finally said, still looking back at Jungeun’s eyes. “And you owe me your ‘stories’.”

Backtracking to her original plan, this was probably a sign for Jungeun to tell Jinsol everything and get it over with. If by then, Jinsol wants to leave her at the carnival with nothing but her crutches to support her, fine. 

“I’ll tell you if you dye my hair blonde.”

Jungeun moves even _ closer _; and Jinsol does too. Their lips were barely an inch apart.

“Alright, then! This way to the bathroom!” Jinsol pulls back at the last second, leaving Jungeun extremely confused and, if she was honest, frustrated.

—

The hair-dyeing process was a little awkward at first (Jungeun wasn’t surprised, the incident before that was intense). Jinsol was more lax at the end, though; the younger girl just played along.

“Wow,” Jinsol removes the towel wrapped on Jungeun’s head to reveal her newly dyed hair. She knew Jungeun looked good, but Jinsol never thought she’d look so much better in blonde.

“Does it suit me?” Jungeun asks, almost shyly. “I haven’t dyed my hair in a while.”

Jinsol was at a loss for words. All she could muster was, “Yup. Yeah. For sure. Without a doubt. No questions asked.”

Only those words were what mattered to Jungeun, honestly. If Jinsol liked it, that’s fine with her. 

“I should start preparing dinner,” Jungeun cuts the silence, ready to leave her seat. 

A quick nod and a pursed smile were Jinsol’s reply. “Of course. I’ll go check on Yerim, too!”

Jinsol finger guns at Jungeun, which she regretted so much because she probably looked like a total fucking loser.

Jungeun could see the look on Jinsol’s face and grinned to herself.

Maybe they were on the same page.

— 

Waking up to the doorbell ringing like crazy was the worst alarm clock ever. Jungeun woke up with a sour look on her face (it didn’t get any better when she found out one of her pillows fell to the floor). 

She checked the clock beside her, it was 5:24AM. Thirty six minutes before her body clock’s normal waking hour. 

The doorbell rang again. Jungeun assumed Jinsol was most likely still dead asleep with Yerim to be bothered by the loud noise.

A groan escaped Jungeun’s lips as she rubbed the drowsiness away from her eyes. She lifts her casted leg and gently sets it on the floor while her other foot searches for her slipper. 

Seriously, some people should really learn basic etiquette and— 

_ Wait. _

No one’s rung the doorbell before. Ever. 

  
And Jungeun doesn’t really know how domestic life worked but she was pretty sure it wasn’t normal to be visiting someone before the sun even came up. 

So it hit Jungeun and she started to panic like never before. Beads of sweat started to drip from her forehead, her heart was hammering against her chest, her breath growing shorter and shorter—she was frozen. 

Did they finally find her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt: @lipsouluvr  
cc: @lovecherrylipse  



	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungeun and Jinsol g̶o̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶d̶a̶t̶e̶ spend their day at the seasonal carnival to temporarily get away from all the stress. Jinsol also thinks it's "a good idea to let Jungeun's broken leg have a little exercise".
> 
> in short:
> 
> this is the obligatory beach episode in every anime ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ERRRR YEAH THIS CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG FORGIVE ME HHHH... school was pretty hectic and well, you know, 2020 has been preeeetty shitty lately. anyway i hope you guys enjoy this chapter! 
> 
> tw//homophobia  
i'll put "***" before and after the parts where it's mentioned as a warning

“Hey,” Jungeun whispers, her voice raspy and desperate. “Jinsol, wake up.” 

The doctor shifts in her queen-sized bed and knits her brow together, eyes still closed shut. “Jungeun? What time is it?”

“It’s barely sunrise. Listen, I need you to—”

“Oh, shit!” Jinsol jolts up and looks to her bedside table, frantically fishing for something in the dark. “Where’s my phone?”

After roaming her hand aimlessly, she finally takes hold of the object and brings it close to her eyes, illuminating a portion of her sleepy face (which Jungeun found cute).

“10 missed calls, he’s gonna kill me,” Jinsol clicks her tongue and rushes out of bed before slipping her feet into her home slippers, Yerim still soundly asleep despite the fuss. 

“Jinsol, wait!” Jungeun took her crutches and tried to catch up to Jinsol who was already hurrying down the stairs that took the injured girl forever to climb. “Don’t open the door!” 

But Jinsol doesn’t hear her and swings the door open anyway.

“Finally,” A tall man with a large backpack slung onto his shoulder greeted, exhaustion in his voice. “It’s freezing out here.” 

“Sorry, I kept my phone on silent and overslept.” 

Jinsol helps the man with his things and invites him back into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. The moment Jungeun successfully reached the first floor, the two were already sitting comfortably and having a chat. 

“Jungeun!” The older girl calls out. “This is my brother.” 

“I’m Jaehyun,” He stands to bow subtly and takes Jungeun’s hand for a quick shake. “With your hair blonde like that you look more like Jinsol’s twin than I do!”

“Hi,” Jungeun greets with a hasty breath, still trying to recover from the panic and anxiety she felt earlier. She found it dumb that she was worried for nothing, forgetting that Jinsol did say something about her brother coming over soon. She blames The Bathroom Moment yesterday for fogging up her mind so much.

—

Jungeun sits with the Jung siblings at the breakfast table, she listens to them talk more than inputting her own narratives (there wasn’t much to tell them anyway; it’s not like she can openly talk about the time she shot a man dead during a hit-and-run). 

It was a little odd, just observing the both of them and taking every bit of information in. The stories they shared about each other was something Jungeun never heard of, never thought of, never experienced. 

_ The world is so much bigger than just hunting people down and stealing riches, I guess.  _

“You’re gonna love the seasonal carnival, Jungeun. Food’s great, the weather’s great—literally everything is perfect there,” Jaehyun expressed sincerely like he wanted to marry the place. “Oh and don’t forget to ride the rollercoaster!”

Topics shifted from left to right and the more they talked the more questions and mysteries Jungeun had of Jinsol were answered. She learns that the tiny scar Jinsol had on her forehead (that she finds absolutely adorable) was from when she tripped and hit her head on the table as a kid, Jaehyun got scolded badly when their parents found out. 

Jaehyun then spoke of his fiancee, Taeyong, who was an international model, his career as an architect, and Jinsol’s embarrassing stories which made the blonde doctor share Jaehyun’s own as revenge.

Apparently, Jinsol was the campus crush in both high school  _ and  _ college; Jungeun thinks that was to be expected though. How many people she’s dated wasn’t mentioned by Jaehyun but Jungeun caught the word “girlfriend” at some point and an unexplainable weight that she didn’t notice was lifted off of her shoulders. 

“We were the infamous Jung Twins,” Jaehyun smugly says with a dimpled grin, his arms crossed on his broad chest. “Jinsol here gave us a bad rep for being such a heartbreaker.”

“Was not!” 

The bond Jaehyun and Jinsol had reminded Jugeun of her and Sooyoung. They weren’t too close like  _ that  _ but the insults and the bickering hit close enough.

_ Huh, I wonder how Sooyoung’s doing. _

_ Actually, let me rephrase that. _

_ I wonder  _ ** _who _ ** _ Sooyung is doing. _

Jungeun smirks to herself, Jinsol and Jaehyun think she’s laughing along. 

“So,” The dark-haired man turned to her after he took a sip of the coffee Jinsol had prepared. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you, Jungeun.”

“Jaehyun!” Jinsol whacks her brother on the shoulder and gives him a warning glare. 

“Hey, is that how you treat people older than you?”

“By like fourteen minutes? Yes.”

The two argue again and it seems Jaehyun’s already forgotten what he had just said about Jungeun since they’ve moved on to a different subject. Still, Jungeun couldn’t take her mind off what Jaehyun mentioned. How else was he supposed to know about the things that’s been going on?

Jinsol cleared her throat and Jungeun was out of her daze. “We should start setting the table for breakfast. Yerim will be waking up soon.”

“I’ll cook,” Jaehyun and Jungeun both said in unison as they stood up. 

Jaehyun looks at the short brunette, surprised. “You do the cooking?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Jungeun says hesitantly, unsure if that was the right answer or not. 

“The cleaning?”

“Stop with your Nicki Minaj jokes!” Jinsol throws another punch at her brother. 

He laughs. “Jinsol still can’t cook, I see.”

Jungeun found their squabble funny. But behind the venomous words they throw, she can tell they care for each other very much. 

“Keep making fun of me and I’m gonna tell Jungeun to poison your food.”

“You’re going to set your guest up for murder? What a horrible host,” Jaehyun raised a brow. “Besides, Jungeun would never.”

He’s right. She wouldn’t, she could though, but she wouldn’t. 

“Just get your ass in the kitchen!”

—

Yerim finally woke up just in time for breakfast. She was especially ecstatic when she saw Jaehyun, practically jumping from the fourth to the last step and into his arms, nearly knocking his balance off. 

It took Jinsol five whole minutes to settle her down and convince her to eat first before playing Super Smash Brothers with the new gadget. “Breakfast will only take thirty minutes, Yerim. Then you’ll have the whole day with your Uncle Jaehyun.”

While eating, Jinsol asks her whose cooking she liked better, Jungeun’s or Jaehyun’s. The sweet girl answered “or” and added, “Jungie and Uncle Jaehyun have their own kind of cooking and I like them both!”

Ah, Yerim. The brightest ray of sunshine.

To think Jungeun couldn’t stand the kid at first. 

Now she would do anything for her.

“Slow down, the asparagus might choke you if you don’t chew it properly!” Jinsol scolds lightly, her parenting instincts kicking in. 

Despite her mother’s nagging, Yerim still continues to finish up fast. She was too excited to get her hands on the new Nintendo console Jaehyun had told her about a few weeks ago. 

It didn’t take Yerim too long to lick her plate clean (which Jinsol was at least happy about because it takes so much effort to get the kid to finish her food). Before Jaehyun could even eat the last bite of his omelette, Yerim had already pulled him from the breakfast table, leaving Jinsol and Jungeun by themselves. 

At first, she wasn’t bothered by it. Jungeun was slowly getting used to Jinsol’s presence.

Until she remembered what happened yesterday.

Jungeun had such a scare earlier in the day she forgot all about That Moment she shared with Jinsol in the bathroom after she dyed her hair blonde. She wasn’t sure if Jinsol was irrationally overthinking it the same way Jungeun was, but Jinsol had probably swatted the thought away already by now.

“I’m gonna go wash up,” Jinsol sighs in relief after she wiped the plates dry. “Let’s leave in a few?”

Jungeun nods, lips pursed awkwardly. “Sure.”

—

She didn’t want to be the one who kept the other waiting so Jungeun did her best to get ready in less than ten minutes despite her casted leg and limited movement. The anxiety she felt probably fueled her adrenaline, letting her get things done faster. 

So many thoughts are going through her mind right now. The biggest concern she had was what if shit goes down at the carnival later? What if by the time they get home, the gang would have already ransacked the place and left no one alive? 

She thinks of the stone she stole kept in the satchel. It was most likely impossible and very stupid but what if somehow—_somehow—_there was a tracker in it?

One by one, Jungeun’s worry piled up like a stack of Lego blocks. She tried to ignore the negative theories her mind was constructing, not wanting to ruin the day Jinsol was looking forward to.

“Sorry, hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

Speak of the devil.

Jinsol finally came down after changing into her “going out” clothes and Jungeun is immediately speechless. She wasn’t dressed in the plain green scrubs anymore, Jinsol was in high waisted shorts, a black, cropped tank top with a flannel over it and a bag slung onto her shoulder. 

_ (What negative thoughts? I don’t know her!) _

“Kiss your mommy goodbye, Yerim. She’ll be going out with Jungeun today,” Jaehyun carries the six year old in his arms, letting her reach Jinsol’s height. “Ask her to get us hotdogs on the way home.” 

“Hotdogs! Hotdogs!” Yerim chants after placing a quick but loud peck on her mother’s cheek.

Jinsol tried to reason that it would just get cold by the time they got home, but Yerim counters that they could always microwave it. “Okay, okay! I’ll get you guys some hotdogs.” 

Jaehyun and Yerim cheered loudly, excited for their hotdog dinner later. 

It took Jungeun a few seconds to snap out of her trance and realize Jinsol had already walked out of the house. She quickly straightened up and before she could close the front door, she could’ve sworn Jaehyun gave her a wink, clearly teasing her about the situation she was getting herself into.

—

“I cannot believe you drive a convertible Jeep Wrangler,” Jungeun tells Jinsol after stepping out of the vehicle. “That’s pretty cool.” 

_ “Pretty hot” _ was what Jungeun wanted to say. 

“I needed something heavy duty for travelling great distances and getting past uncemented routes so I thought this was the best choice for me,” Jinsol shrugged like it was no big deal, slamming the door of her car shut and rushing over the Jungeun to help her out with her crutches.

“Still cool,” The younger girl repeats. 

The place was amazing, Jungeun thought. It wasn’t grandiose or anything, it was just the right size for a carnival in the middle of nowhere. 

Booths and tents were set up along the cliffside, overseeing the vast ocean ahead (Jungeun thinks the sunset would look really nice from here). A small Ferris wheel with the height of not more than twenty meters stood at the edge of the cliff. Jungeun thought that was dangerous but hey, at least there’s a Ferris wheel. 

_ “A carnival is not a carnival without a Ferris wheel.”  _

She recalls Jinsoul’s words in the car.

“Why are we parked so far from the entrance? I feel like the distance between the car and the carnival is bigger than that entire place,” Jungeun catches a breath after struggling to walk down from the hill’s slope where Jinsol’s Jeep was parked. “I mean look, you can literally see everything from here. That’s how far away it is from everything.”

“I always park there. It’s my favorite spot.” 

Jungeun groaned in response, still not understanding the logic behind Jinsol’s reasoning.

“Shall we, then?”

Jinsol points to the entrance with her thumb where a bunch of summer-clothed people started to gather.

She wanted to enjoy the moment like nothing was holding her back, but Jungeun was still tense. Jinsol looked beautiful, the weather was good, the atmosphere felt like it was the most perfect place at the moment—so why was she losing her mind? 

There was a lump in her throat, the possibilities of what could happen flashing in her mind. 

Until Jinsol took her hand and squeezed it. 

“Hey, let’s have fun today. We’ll be okay.” 

And that was it. 

Jungeun nodded and smiled back, trusting each word Jinsol had said. 

_ We’ll be okay. _

It was her new mantra.

Besides, nothing unusual has happened. She’s never seen a single sign of the Black Butterfly since ending up in Jinsol’s clinic and it’s been more than a month. 

No way were they going to waste their resources and energy on just one member, and they weren’t even sure if she was alive. All the time they could spend looking for her and the stone could be used to start planning for a new heist and a chance for them to score something bigger instead. 

Jungeun thinks of what their mastermind told her at a young age,  _ “Everyone is disposable.” _

She definitely wasn’t an exception. By now, they’ve probably moved on.

So what if they lost the stone? So what if the heist was a failure? 

It’s not the first time they failed. Jungeun’s experienced a failed mission before and although the boss was pissed as fuck, it’s not like they were killed for it. 

_ We’ll be okay. _

Jungeun repeats. 

“Let’s go.”

And that was Jinsol’s cue to pull Jungeun along with her, almost forgetting that her leg was still healing. She quickly apologizes and takes the shorter girl in for a small hug, laughing.

Both girls enter the carnival, every step adding to the thrill of the moment.

Everything was good.

They start off with a shooting game, Jinsol was total whack at it but of course, Jungeun nailed it perfectly despite how inconvenient it was, clinging onto her crutches for support while holding up a toy sniper. It took her less than a minute to finish shooting all ten cans and winning Jinsol a big, fluffy Shiba Inu stuffed toy. 

“How did you do that?”

“I just got lucky.” 

“Oh, wait!” Jungeun flinched at Jinsol suddenly moving closer to her. “I brought this.” 

She takes out a Polaroid camera from her sling bag and holds it up with one hand, the lens facing both of them, while her other hand hugged her prized Shiba Inu. 

Now being a fugitive, Jungeun  _ never  _ took pictures so she didn’t really know what she was supposed to do. But Jinsol was smiling and, in turn, made her subconsciously smile along as if it was an instinct.

Problem was, Jinsol didn’t give her a head’s up and pressed the capture button with Jungeun still looking at her. 

“Uh, I wasn’t able to look at the—”

Too late. The film finished printing and the colors were beginning to come together, revealing the moment that had just occurred. 

“Cute,” Was all the taller blonde said before dragging Jungeun to another booth, not letting a second go to waste by idling around. 

And this time, Jinsol decided it was her turn to shine after Jungeun effortlessly crushed the shooting game. She wasn’t gonna let her pride down that easily. 

“You’re gonna hurt yourself,” Jungeun warns as Jinsol lifts the big mallet over her shoulder; the tool was nearly half her size and most likely half her weight too.

Scoffing, Jinsol disregards Jungeun’s advice. “Says the girl who reopened her cut.” 

“Why can’t you let that go!” 

“It took me a while to stitch back!” 

Taking a few more shaky steps towards the High-striker machine, Jinsol holds onto the object with both her hands wrapped tightly around the handle and eyes the target like a bull seeing red. Once she got close enough, she slammed the mallet with all her strength; the loud  _ ting!  _ heard after the collision between the puck and the bell caused Jungeun’s ears to buzz. 

Maybe she should consider not messing with Jinsol too much.

Mouth agape, Jungeun could only do so much as stare at an overjoyed Jinsol jumping up and down as the staff let her choose which stuffed animal she wanted as her prize. 

“Jungie!” She pulled the younger girl to the counter with the widest smile Jungeun’s ever seen. “You choose.” 

Jungeun didn’t see the appeal in stuffed toys. If she could, she would ask the staff if she can take the mallet home instead. 

But Jinsol looked so excited, so proud of her victory—the victory that was won for  _ her _ , for Jungeun. She lifted the heavy-ass mallet with Jungeun at the back of her mind, hoping to win something for her. 

_ For her _ .

“We’ll take that one,” Jungeun points at the body-sized Moomin plushie. 

The employee sighs before stepping on the counter to reach for the object hung at the top part of the wall grid. Jugneun figures it was probably one of those hard-to-get prizes people could rarely win. Hopping off of the counter with the toy in hand, the personnel hands Jungeun her chosen reward.

“It kinda looks like you,” Jinsol teased, her index finger poking Jungeun’s reddening cheeks. 

Shy eyes look away from the older girl’s direction and catches the blue and red neon lights of the ice cream parlor instead. “Hey, that place looks nice.” Jungeun takes the opportunity to change the subject.

Following Jungeun’s line of sight, Jinsol is all giddy. She tells her that it was her fourth favorite place in the carnival and before Jungeun could say no, Jinsol had already insisted that Jungeun  _ must  _ have a taste of the best ice cream she’s ever had; she says it’s Gelato, which Jungeun later found out was a fancier version of the usual dessert. 

The two girls enter the petite shop with arms linked, eyes dart towards them and their bright blonde heads (okay, some were looking at Jungeun’s big ass cast and the huge stuffed toys Jinsol managed to shove into her bag). A guy tried to hit on her and Jinsoul by offering to buy them a cone each; Jungeun expected Jinsol to decline but she was surprised (and jealous) to hear the taller girl accept the offer.

Jungeun blocked out the small talk they were both having, her mood completely turned upside down. She felt a little immature and mentally reasoned with herself that she had no right to act like this, but come on! 

_ Really, Jinsol? This guy looks like his face was used to wipe ass after shitting. _

“What about you, cutie? What are you having?” The asswipe-looking guy turned to Jungeun, who was almost gagging at how cringey that sounded. 

“Anything is fine,” She managed to mutter.

“And so are you,” He clicked his tongue twice in an attempt to be charming (which failed miserably) before telling the cashier lady their orders. 

Jungeun thinks Jinsol had already picked up the negative energy emanating from her because the grip she had on Jungeun’s arm went tense. The reaction made Jungeun feel bad, she avoided looking at Jinsol for a second after the girl moved closer to try and read her expression; she didn’t want to bother Jinsol with her moody ass on a supposedly happy day. 

Still, Jinsol subtly tapped on Jungeun’s hand to get her attention. The shorter girl doesn’t turn her face to look back at her, she instead moves her eyes enough to see Jinsol in her peripheral vision. 

She didn’t look worried or mad, which was a relief to Jungeun. But her raised eyebrows and goofy grin added to the confusion Jungeun was feeling because what on earth did Jinsol plan to do from here on out? 

“Here you go, ladies.” 

_ Jesus Christ. _

Jinsol thanks him with a bright smile; Jungeun was silently looking at her overloaded cone topped with thick, pink cream and dried strawberry chips. The guy throws more compliments at the girls but Jungeun dismisses while Jinsol happily entertains. 

“So what are you up to?” He scoots closer to Jinsol and Jungeun’s first instinct was to tighten her hold on the girl’s arm, stopping herself from kicking the man with her cemented leg.

Jungeun waited for Jinsol’s answer and it drove her crazy how long it was taking her to respond. Were they really going to spend the day with this weirdo? And the bigger question Jungeun was afraid to hear the answer to was: “ _ Is Jinsol into MEN? _ ”. 

Jaehyun mentioned her having a girlfriend in college but what if that was just one of those “out of curiosity” stuff people did?

The googly eyes this guy was giving Jinsol was pissing Jungeun off so much and Jinsol delaying her reply was making it worse. Jungeun looks at Jinsol almost as if she was pleading with her to give the correct response. 

“The free ice cream was great so I guess this is where we leave you,” Jinsol tugs Jungeun. “Bye. Thanks again!” 

Both blondes exit the parlor, satisfied with their Gelatos, leaving the man dumbfounded and a wallet with $20 less. Jinsol started giggling by the time they stepped outside, causing a domino effect to Jungeun who also began laughing. 

“You really did that,” Jungeun takes a bite of the melting dessert in her hand, letting go of Jinsol’s arm to keep herself balanced on her crutches; the distance letting her breathe better. 

“Ew, you bite your ice cream?!” The doctor scrunched her nose. “And yes, I really did that.” 

“For a second there I was worried you liked  _ men _ .”

“Oh dear god, no. Never!” 

“That’s good to hear,” Jungeun sighed, obviously relieved to hear that statement. 

“You sound happy about it,” Jinsol smirks, her tone playful. 

Expressing herself in words was always a skill Jungeun could never master, she was even worse at it when pressured or in the middle of a gay panic attack. Jungeun collects herself again and again but everything she’s saying just sounds like Yerim key-smashing on the computer. 

Jinsol couldn’t be that oblivious, could she? 

“It’s starting to get late.”

Topic change. Hallelujah.

“Um… are we heading back?” 

“Not yet! We still have the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel to ride!” Jinsol finishes her ice cream and dusts off the bits of cone crusts on her fingers. 

How Jinsol devoured that ice cream in less than five minutes was beyond Jungeun. She was barely halfway with hers and she’s already having a hard time finishing it. 

The taller blonde moves closer and takes a quick bite off of Jungeun’s Gelato. “Hey!” 

“You looked like you needed help,” Jinsol says as she licks the ice cream that smudged the corner of her lips; Jungeun stares at her and is, yet again, the shade of flaming hot Cheetos. “If we wanna get on that roller coaster you better finish that fast.”

“I kinda lost my appetite. Besides, I might throw up mid-ride.”

Jinsol grimaces and pats Jungeun’s back softly. “Alright, alright. We have to move though, the line gets really long at this hour.” 

—

She was right. The line  _ does  _ get really long at this hour. 

They’ve been standing in a queue for the past thirty minutes and the total distance they traveled from the starting point was less than a half a meter. “Don’t they have a PWD lane?” Jungeun suggests, thanking her injured leg for once. 

“They closed it after people kept pretending they were visually impared,” Jinsol sighed. “I was one of them.” 

“YOU’RE LITERALLY A DOCTOR??” 

“I KNOW BUT I REALLY WANTED TO GET ON THIS RIDE AND I WANTED TO PEE!” 

After another thirty minutes of waiting, they finally got to the front lines. Unfortunately, the employee caught a glimpse of Jungeun’s cast and frowned. 

“I’m sorry, ma’am but we don’t allow injured people to go on this ride.”

Luckily, the staff was some guy in his late teens. And that made Jungeun feel less sorry for him the moment she started yelling at him and forcing him to let her get on the roller coaster. 

Jinsol was about to argue, but Jungeun stepped up faster. She couldn’t understand the words Jungeun was saying with the way she was speaking too fast; all Jinsol heard was a sentence composed of “fucker, bitch, assface, and shithead”. 

She knew Jungeun had won the argument when the staff member unlocked the gate that led to the ride’s upper platform, the look on his face visibly irritated. Jinsol was surprised at first, not knowing Jungeun had that kind of spunk in her even though Jinsol always sensed the strong personality the shorter girl had.

Following Jungeun up the steps, Jinsol skipped through by twos and mouthed a quick “sorry” to the teenager who just had a terrible workday after being screamed at.

“I think that guy just shat his pants,” Jinsol laughs, standing beside Jungeun after catching up with her. 

“I didn’t want that one hour to go to waste,” Jungeun mumbled, still recovering from her outburst. “And I really wanted to know what this ride was like since you kept talking about it.” 

“It’s just like every other roller coaster, really.” 

“I’ve never been on one.” 

Jinsol’s eyebrows shot so far up her forehead Jungeun was worried they’d fly out of her face. “You’ve never been on a roller coaster before?” 

“Nope,” Jungeun purses her lips into a thin line, revealing a small dimple on her cheek. “It looks extreme, though.”

She looked up at the 360-degree loop the riders were currently on; hairs covering the entirety of their faces, some had their hands up in the air while the others were covering their eyes, people screaming left and right—Jungeun didn’t want to admit it but she was afraid.

“Are you… are you scared?” Jinsol bit her lower lip to hold back a smirk and now Jungeun wasn’t sure if she was scared or if she was feeling something else.

“Of course not.”

“Oh my god, you are.”

“I’m not!” 

“You screamed at an innocent teenager to get on a ride you’re actually  _ afraid  _ of?” 

“I only yelled at him because I didn’t like the idea of your riding this roller coaster alone!” 

_ Pause. _

“Aw,” Jinsol smiles at Jungeun and gives her a soft, sincere look. “That’s sweet.” 

The moment didn’t last long, thankfully. The previous batch of riders had finally come to a stop and it was their group’s turn to hop in. 

Jungeun deposited her crutches along with Jinsol’s bag inside the locker by the staff counter; they had a hard time punching the oversized plushies in but they managed. Jinsol helped Jungeun settle herself into the seat before joining her. 

This was a bad idea, Jungeun knew that much. Jumping head first for a girl—crazy, really crazy. She hated the Pick Me behaviour she was acting out every time Jinsol was around. It was a new, bewildering emotion she didn’t know how to confront and it was torturing the few remaining neurons in her brain.

Once everyone got comfortable, the staff announced a few safety precautions and reminders to prepare them for the ride. Jungeun, still bitter about the feud earlier, decides to ignore whatever he was saying and zones out. 

She was, however, snapped out of her blank staring when she felt Jinsol’s hand wrap itself around hers. “You’ll be okay.” 

The blonde doctor flashes a toothy grin accommodated with a corny thumbs up, but it instantly makes Jungeun feel better anyway—until the engine begins moving and Jungeun is startled, turning her into a palpitating mess. Jinsol couldn’t hold back her laugh and smoothly linked her arm around Jungeun’s in the process. 

The car moved slowly at first, each second adding to the nervous feeling at the pit of Jungeun’s stomach as they began to climb up the track’s steep slope. 

Unbelievable. An internationally known criminal, afraid of roller coasters. Jungeun literally eats near-death experiences for breakfast and yet— _ and yet _ —a safely designed thrill-ride stressed the shit out of her?

When they reached the highest point of the track, the car halted right before the upcoming dip. “Holy fuck, is this thing broken?” Jungeun said too loudly, clearly panicking.

“No, Jungeun. Calm down, it’s fine,” Jinsol cannot stop cackling. 

“Jinsol, don’t shit with me right now. Are we stu—”

Dropping down to a nearly 90-degree drop, Jungeun felt her soul leaving its shell. Her hair whips against her cold face and up into the air, arms holding onto Jinsol for dear life while the girl beside her is cheering loudly for god knows what reason. 

But the ride didn't stop there, the 360-degree loop Jungueun was looking at on the platform earlier was approaching closer and closer. The roller coaster jerks past a sharp turn and again, starts climbing its way up from the foot of the loop; Jungeun’s leg surprisingly remained untroubled throughout the whole thing. 

They surge forward with full speed, relieving Jungeun because at least they were going to get over this fast and didn’t have to be thrown around in the air any longer. But only when they reached the center of the spiral did Jungeun realize she spoke a little too soon.

Upside down, more or less twenty meters off the ground, they were suspended yet again for ten seconds, but Jungeun felt like it was  _ forever _ . She clings onto Jinsol tighter, her hands glued to Jinsol’s own and her head tucked under the other girl’s jaw; at this point, Jungeun barely cared about how their bodies were practically stitched close together. 

“Whoo!” Jinsol cheers once more, raising a fist.

“You’re crazy!”

Sudden but slow movement creaked through the gears of the machine and they’re on the move. Jungeun feels sick after what gravity has done to her stomach and the anticipation of what’s to come made it worse. 

They slid downwards and everyone on the ride screamed, Jungeun sounded like she was being exorcised. After finishing the loop, the car maneuvers gently towards the point where they started. 

Jungeun finally lets her grip go a little looser and composes her windswept blonde hair that now resembled a haystack. With dexterous hands, Jinsol takes a quick snap with her Polaroid before Jungeun could successfully make herself look like a normal human being again. 

“You can’t even see my face there,” Jungeun grumbles as the lap bar restraint is being lifted automatically. “Wait, did you sneak that in?”

The doctor only shrugs and smiles innocently, like a puppy who had just been caught eating toilet paper but refuses to own up to it through an angelic facade.

“It’s not like they’d sue me for smuggling this in.”

Jinsol slings the camera’s strap over her shoulder and steps out of the vehicle before she curtsies and offers an arm to help Jungeun out of her seat, imitating those overly dramatic British men from period movies. Jungeun rolls her eyes, in denial that she appreciates the gesture but takes it nonetheless and plays along with Jinsol’s chivalrous act. 

Balancing herself with the help of Jinsol’s support, the staff hurriedly (out of responsibility) returned Jungeun’s crutches and was off to handle the next batch of riders. Maybe Jungeun would give his employee performance rating a 3.5 out of 5, he was personally a pain but she respected his professionalism.

The blondes exit the ride and walks back into the crowd of tourists. There was only one thing in Jinsol’s list that they haven’t gotten ridden yet, and it was the preeminent Ferris wheel Jinsol was talking about on their way to the carnival. 

Why Jinsol was so obsessed with this ride, Jungeun had no idea. She explained the concept so excitedly and yet Jungeun still couldn’t understand how sitting still for almost twenty minutes was something fun to do. 

“It’s not about what you’re doing, it’s about what you’re  _ seeing _ ,” The taller blonde elaborates, her hands cupping the sides of her eyes as if she was holding a pair of invisible binoculars. 

“And what exactly am I supposed to be seeing?”

“The view!” Jinsol exclaims. “And we’re perfectly on time because the sun’s about to set and oh, Jungeun, it’s  _ beautiful  _ out there when it does. I love how it makes the ocean look. It’s like the water turns into orange juice.”

Getting on the Ferris wheel barely ignited a hint of interest in Jungeun, but Jinsol’s eagerness to show her something that’s close to her heart made Jungeun want to jump into that ride right  _ now _ . She starts to speed-walk—technically speed-limp but you get it.

Jinsol was surprised to see Jungeun get ahead so fast, she jogged to catch up with the shorter blonde and flashes a puzzled grin. “Looks like someone’s suddenly excited. Did the orange juice spark your curiosity?” 

“The lines might get too long.”

“Don’t worry about it! Nobody really cares about the Ferris wheel. Sadly,” Jinsol laughs, her arms in a 90-degree angle on each side so as to exaggerate the jogging position she was currently in, waves of blonde hair bouncing past her shoulders and to her lower back. “They think Ferris wheels are too overrated it actually ended up becoming underrated. It’s ironic and kinda funny.”

Jungeun continues to speed-limp while Jinsol jogs beside her, spilling random Ferris wheel trivias as they get closer to the ticket booth that was already visible enough from where they were. They took a few more steps and finally—

“It’s  _ closed _ ?” Jinsol’s shoulders drop, obviously sad about one of her favorite rides being shut down. 

“Has been for over a month now,” A passerby says. “It was losing riders; the administration decided to shut it down to lessen the electricity and maintenance expenses. They’re gonna start moving her out of here soon.”

Jungeun inspected the machine closely. It wasn’t impossible for her to get it running again, it’s not like the basic parts needed to turn it on have already been taken out, there was just no staff around to operate the mechanism. She  _ would  _ gladly get the wheel to function for Jinsol, but putting all the attention to them was the last thing Jungeun wanted, especially for someone who was on-the-run.

“I’m sorry, Jinsol,” She attempts to comfort a defeated Jinsol, gingerly patting her back which makes her cringe at how much affection she’s displaying but it was Jinsol. If Jungeun let her walls down for someone it would only be for Jinsol.

“It’s fine,” The older girl sighs. “I just really wanted you to experience riding the Ferris wheel.”

“You said you wanted to see the view.”

Suddenly, Jinsol straightens her back up, eyes wide like she just had a  _ eureka!  _ moment. “We can still do that.”

“What? But you said—”

“Sh! No questions,” Jinsol puts a hand on Jungeun’s mouth. “Let’s just get Yerim and Jaehyun some hot dogs and go before the sun completely sets!” 

Whatever Jinsol had in mind, Jungeun didn’t bother questioning it; the doctor literally zoomed back to the hotdog stand they went past earlier, leaving Jungeun to limp back alone, though she wasn’t bitter about it. 

But her being all by herself gave her brain enough time to tortute her with the same appalling thoughts she tried so hard to shove away. One of them was, of course, the violent group of ruffians she left behind, who she assumed were probably trailing her; the other was how she was going to explain to Jinsol that she was always Employee of the Year for nearly a decade in her field of work with said ruffians. 

It was hard sorting this all out because every time she looked at Jinsol, everything melted away. Jinsol was, if Jungeun were to describe her, a literal ray of sunshine, just like Yerim—hell, she could be the biggest sun in the universe with the kind of smile she had; she was so bright, so pure. Jungeun didn’t want to taint her with her depressing backstory and way of life. 

Or maybe.

  
Jungeun just wanted to run away from that kind of life. Maybe she wants to “step into the light” as they all say.

No more cold-blooded murders, no more breaking into fancy banks, no more inhumane behavior first thing in the morning. She could start all over again. 

And with Jinsol by her side, maybe pretending she wasn’t an evil mastermind would be easier.

But did she share the same thoughts as Jungeun did? Recalling the tension-filled antic they had in the bathroom yesterday, Jungeun thinks that maybe Jinsol does.

Maybe stumbling into her home half-dead was fate, maybe it was the universe telling her to stop going solo all the time and settle down, even though Jungeun has not once thought about it, couldn’t even bring herself to  _ imagine  _ it. 

“Do you want one?”

She snaps out of her subconscious stupor, unaware that she had already been standing beside Jinsol. “What?”

“Hot dog,” Jinsol points to the menu hung on top of the stand’s counter. “Do you want one?”

Jungeun thanks her but respectfully declines while Jinsol just shrugs and says “okay!” with a smile so playful it wiped Jungeun’s mind of worry. She looks at the snack (not Jinsol) being prepared by the hot dog guy, rolling along the metal bars that support it above the machine responsible for heating; she had already said no to Jinsol’s offer, but she still wondered why Jaehyun and Yerim were so desperate for a bite.

Jinsol must have noticed her staring too long because the taller blonde’s lips curled into a sly grin. “You want one don’t you?” 

“I—” Jungeun stutters. “I don’t think I can finish one, though.”

“Me neither,” Jinsol lied, obviously. “We can share, if you want!” 

A quiet laugh escaped Jungeun’s lips, it was bashful and a little giddy. She knew the blonde was a foodie with the way she chomped down the meals Jungeun makes for them, the doctor could definitely finish a single hotdog in less than a minute; for Jinsol to go to great lengths for Jungeun, the gesture warmed even the coldest parts of her. 

After the stall’s employee securely packed the hotdogs Jinsol had ordered, the taller blonde excitedly starts to skip out of the queue. Her energy—Jungeun just can’t keep up sometimes. 

“So what now? The Ferris wheel’s closed.”

But Jinsol doesn’t answer her, she just keeps beaming at Jungeun. It was really hard for Jungeun to keep reading her like this because once Jinsol gave her  _ that  _ kind of smile, Jungeun’s mind just went haywire and she ended up staring at her instead. 

And this time, she shamelessly did so.

That goofy smile, the Polaroid slung around her neck, the hotdog boxes held tightly in her arms, the awfully deformed plushies squished into her bag while the golden glow of the late afternoon sun kissed her skin and the cool, sea breeze flowing past her bright blonde hair, making it dance in waves—Jungeun could look at it forever.

Then it hit her. 

There  _ is  _ a way for her to look at this moment forever.

“Can…” Jungeun trails off, already regretting that she opened her mouth, unsure if she should finish her sentence.

“Hm?” Jinsol blinks, surprised that Jungeun uttered a word.

“It’s—you see—I—” Oh god, here it comes again she could already feel her cheeks and the tips of her ears burning, her heart aching to beat out of her ribcage. “It’s just that—”

Jinsol could have laughed, could have been annoyed that Jungeun was such a useless gay, could have cut her off—but she didn’t. She waited for Jungeun to speak out with patient eyes, her full attention directed at the shorter girl who was struggling to formulate a coherent phrase. 

“I was gonna say that…” Shaky hands tried to express Jungeun’s thoughts but she only ended up looking like a drowning duck. “Since you’ve taken a lot of pictures of me today, I thought I should take some for you too.” 

With both brows raised, Jinsol was silent; her curled lips turned into one straight line, her eyes still looking at Jungeun as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I mean, only if you want me to!” Jungeun quickly adds, holding up two defensive hands. “If you don’t want to it’s fine.” She tries to recollect herself, breathing in and out slowly, but Jinsol’s unreadable expression and silence were not helping her do it easier.

The tension was finally broken when Jinsol threw her a grin and took the camera’s strap off her neck, giving it to a relieved Jungeun. “I thought you’d never ask! I need to send my co-workers some pictures anyway, they might end up forgetting what I look like after not seeing each other for so long.”

Jungeun takes the camera and Jinsol starts to pose dramatically, pretending the hotdog boxes she held were heavy weights as an excuse to show off her now exposed muscles to Jungeun who tried to look anywhere but there. She rolled her eyes at Jinsol’s ridiculousness, though she found it undeniably cute.

“Take the shot, I can’t keep my biceps flexed for too long I think I’m pulling my biceps brachii!” 

“Just say biceps, nerd!” 

Averting her concern from Jinsol to the camera, Jungeun realizes she’s never operated one before.

“You don’t know how to use it, don’t you.” Jinsol says in a low tone, Jungeun just forces a sheepish smile. 

—

Both girls start walking back to the parking lot after a long day of activities and free ice cream. They finished earlier than Jungeun expected, but then again Jinsol still had work the next day and the way home takes an hour or so. It bugged her, though; how she spent so much time with Jinsol today yet she’s still somehow unsatisfied.

“I hope you didn’t have such a hard time today, you’re injured after all,” Jinsol looks back at Jungeun, a tight smile on her face as they tread on the gravelly ground of the parking space.

Shaking her head, Jungeun tells Jinsol it wasn’t a big deal and that she doesn’t even feel an ounce of fatigue, which was true because she’s so used to situations where she’s losing half her blood that it doesn’t bother her anymore. 

“Are we not looking at the sunset?”

“We are. Just not from the usual view,” Jinsol jogs up the hill’s slope where her car stays parked on top of it. She throws the stuffed toys in the trunk and securely sets the hotdog boxes inside a compartment at the backseat before helping Jungeun up.

Once Jungeun got up to the hill’s summit, she understood what Jinsol had been planning. 

Below them was the carnival literally sparkling as the metallic materials reflected the light of the setting sun, the sea was dipped in a hue of a melancholic pinkish orange, hitting Jungeun with a kind of serenity she hasn’t felt in a while. It was beautiful, she thought; it wasn’t the diamonds or gold or silver that she had been so obsessed with getting her hands on—no, it was even  _ more _ than that.

“It’s nice isn’t it?” Jinsol says beside her, the box of hotdog in her hand. 

Still not peeling her eyes away from the view, Jungeun nodded slowly. She could tell Jinsol was stealing glances at her, like she had something more she wanted to tell Jungeun but was hesitant. 

“You look like you haven’t seen a sunset before,” She finally says in a voice so soft it was close to a whisper. 

When was the last time she was out like this? She couldn’t even remember. Her end of the day routine was always getting back to headquarters as fast as possible to avoid getting caught, she had no time to dilly dally and look at the skies. 

There was something in the air that moment and it didn’t take long to hit Jungeun in the head for her to realize that it wasn’t just the view washing her with utmost tranquility, but also because Jinsol was there to experience it with her. Jungeun admits it was an extremely cheesy thought, but if she were to stand there all by herself with the exact same view that was before her now, she doesn’t think it would even come close to what she was feeling with Jinsol at her side.

Bringin Jungeun back to reality, Jinsol pats the hood of her Jeep hard enough for Jungeun to hear the thumping sound. She was now seated on top of the vehicle with the box of hot dog they planned to share set beside her lap, her tilted head giving Jungeun the invitation to sit with her.

“Jinsol, my leg,” Jungeun reminded, sending Jinsol’s palm straight to her own forehead.

She doesn’t give up, though. Jungeun was surprised when she felt hands on each of her sides lifting her up in one fell swoop and setting her down on the hood. Jungeun’s gotten so used to Jinsol’s sudden physical contact she’s managed to control her fight or flight instincts around her, otherwise she would have knocked her out cold right then and there.

“There we go!” Jinsol huffs, stretching her back after lifting something heavier than three kilograms (she’s not as young as she used to be). 

After hearing each joint in Jinsol’s spine cracking, Jungeun gives her a sly smile and a raised brow. “Hag.”

“Hey!” The taller blonde shoved Jungeun’s uninjured leg playfully, threatening to do the same with her casted one.

“Aren’t you a doctor? You should be healing pain, not inflicting them!” 

“This is an exemption!” 

Mischievous remarks were thrown here and there until Jungeun and Jinsol were out of breath after laughing so hard, the amount of euphoria they radiated was unparalleled by anything else in the world. 

Jinsol leaned on her car’s bumper with little to no distance from where Jungeun was seated, still standing on the ground as she tried catching her break and steadying herself; Jungeun’s palms were facing flat on the hood’s metallic material while the weight of her back rested on her arms, chest slowly heaving up and down.

Once her breathing was stable again Jinsol moved closer to Jungeun, practically positioning herself between the other’s legs as she looked up at her from where she stood. Sitting on the muscle car boosted Jungeun up to a foot taller than Jinsol, allowing her to see Jinsol at a completely different, fuller angle. 

(Jungeun wanted to combust.)

She could see everything on Jinsol’s face from this position. The tiny, almost invisible scar between her eyebrows, her infectious smile that made her little dimple peek out of her left cheek, the lines that defined the corners of her very, very kissable lips—Jungeun thinks she might go for it this time. 

Setting sun, cliffside carnival, perfect breeze, it’s like a Hollywood movie scene; everything was perfect. 

“Jungeun,” Jinsol breathes, her eyes moving back and forth from Jungeun’s eyes to her lips. “I…”

She paused, looking at anything besides the girl in front of her, like a child shying away from a face they’ve never met before. 

“I just wanted to thank you for accompanying me today, even though you didn’t have to. And… I hope your leg had the exercise it needed.”

“You don’t have to thank me, you literally snapped my joints back in place, that’s the kind of free healthcare this country can’t offer. Seriously, I should be the one thanking you.”

A chuckle escapes from her mouth and Jinsol breaks the rising tension by putting a healthy distance between them. She props herself up the hood and sits beside Jungeun, continuing to marvel at the dipping sun on the horizon. 

Relief washed over Jungeun, she hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath since Jinsol put them  _ that  _ close together. It was probably a sign that the time wasn’t right yet. That Jungeun still had something unresolved that she had to confront Jinsol about, like her identity and her entire past. Maybe not now, Jinsol was having too much fun, Jungeun didn’t want to take this rare moment away from her.

“Hey the hot dog’s getting cold,” Opening the food box, Jinsol takes out the snacks she ordered earlier. She breaks it into two equal pieces for each of them and offers the other half to Jungeun. 

“Thanks,” The younger girl takes it with two hands and serves herself a bite. Now understanding why Jaehyun and Yerim wanted one so bad, it was an understatement to say it was the best hot dog she’s ever had.

“It’s good, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I get why Jaehyun would kill for this.”

“He did once.”

“WHAT?”

“I’m kidding! Jaehyun’s the softest person I know aside from Yerim, he wouldn’t even squish an ant because he said, and I quote,  _ ‘What if it’s just going back to its tiny ant family who’s waiting for him to come home and have dinner?’ _ ”

“He really said that?” Jungeun asks, eyes wide open in disbelief.

“And we were in  _ college _ . He still says it now when he catches me attempting to squish one, so I just flick them away.”

A tall, relatively muscular man—Jungeun didn’t think all that tough exterior would be the reincarnation of a Care Bear. It must be in the genes, since Jinsol was just as compassionate as her twin brother.

“You Jungs are too nice for your own good.”

“We try to be,” Jinsol shrugs as she finishes the last bite of her hot dog, dusting off the crumbs from her hands. “At least me and Jaehyun.”

Something in the way Jinsol said it hit Jungeun with a wave of… sadness?

***

“Jaehyun and I,” The doctor continued though a little reluctant, afraid to pull down the mood. “It’s always just been us, you know? Don’t get me wrong, we were pretty well-off and I’m grateful for that... but our parents were never around much when we were kids.” 

A tiny smile creeps up from Jinsol’s mouth, but it wasn’t bright like the ones she had when they were laughing like there was no tomorrow, it was a pensive one. And Jungeun couldn’t find the right explanations to what she was feeling but there was an aching in her chest that clogged her throat.

“The relationship gap we had with our parents got too wide, there was no way for us to close it. They didn’t know anything about us and we didn’t know anything about them. Mom and Dad had only started getting more involved with our lives when we were around thirteen. Sometimes I don’t even remember what they look like anymore.”

“We lived like that for almost ten years. All in the same house, but refusing to call it a home,” Choking back a sob, Jinsol took a shaky breath. “Sorry, I should stop this stupid self-pity. I’m ruining this day for you.”

“It’s okay,” Jungeun reassures at the speed of light, reaching for Jinsol’s hand and squeezing it lightly. “Jinsol. You can talk to me, I’m here for you.”

If she was being honest, she’s starting to pick up on how to be more emotionally considerate ever since she started hanging out with Yerim everyday. It was still a new skill she’s learning but Jungeun really wanted to let Jinsol release the pent up frustration and grief she’s been carrying for a long time. 

“You’re great,” The older blonde leans her head on the other girl’s shoulder and Jungeun swears her heart rate went up to almost 200 beats per minute. Jungeun scoots closer, letting her shoulders relax under the weight of Jinsol’s big brained head as she tilts her own to tuck Jinsol underneath her jaw. 

The sun has long disappeared from the twilight sky, swallowed by the blue sea. The atmosphere was now enveloped with a cool blue-purple shade, stars beginning to reveal themselves as the evening grows deeper. 

She doesn’t look at Jinsol, but Jungeun could tell she was holding back from spilling her emotions right then and there by the way the older girl had her jaw clenched against Jungeun’s skin. Jinsol had more to say, Jungeun knew that much, but she didn’t want to rush her; they had time to spare.

With a trembling inhale, Jinsol begins speaking again. “We thought we could just keep living that way until we finish college and be able to live independently. But—” Jinsol scoffs with sarcasm. “We were wrong. I don’t know how they found out but they were so furious that one night. Telling us how ashamed they were for having children who were…” 

Jinsol doesn’t finish her words but Jungeun understood what she meant.

“It was so hard, Jungeun. They kicked us out, our entire family shunned us except for a few of our cousins and aunts. Fortunately, I’d already finished my four years of pre-med and started my proper studies while Jaehyun only had a month left before graduation.”

Pain cut through Jungeun’s chest as if someone dipped a dagger in scorching lava and slashed her. No one deserves this, especially not Jinsol who’d been nothing but extremely kind. The mistreatment she received from her parents pissed Jungeun off and it pissed her off even more knowing there was nothing she could do.

“I mean who does that? Leaving your children in the most vital stages of their lives; parental neglect hurts and it affects the child a whole lot. The least they could have done was accept us for who we were but no. They blamed their absence, they made it about  _ them  _ again and pushed us away.” 

Jinsol pressed her head deeper against the curve of Jungeun’s neck, vulnerable and weak. 

“Luckily, our aunt Jessica took us in for a few years until Jaehyun and I saved up enough for a studio apartment. It was crazy for the both of us. Jaehyun had to take on five projects all at once and I had to take two part-time jobs while studying just so we could be under a roof and pay for med school.”

For a person as positive and care-free as Jinsol, Jungeun didn’t peg her to be someone who’s been through so much shit in her life. Sure, she was bitter about what happened to her but who wouldn’t be? Yet here she was, thriving in what she loves doing most: saving lives and taking part in medical breakthroughs.

***

“That’s why I took Yerim in,” A more pleasant smile formed on Jinsol’s lips, eyes twinkling at the memory of her little girl. “She had no known and living relatives of any sort according to the records, so I adopted her. I refused to leave an innocent child alone like my parents did. And I know what happened was unfortunate but I still feel like Yerim was heaven sent, like she was meant to arrive at my doorstep that night. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

The sight of a blissful Jinsol flipped Jungeun’s stomach after seeing her look so down and defeated earlier. It hurt Jungeun more than a million broken legs and a million reopened cuts on the hip to have seen her that way. 

“You are the kindest, most selfless, craziest person I’ve ever met, Jung Jinsol,” Jungeun managed to say, attempting to lighten up the conversation to keep Jinsol from feeling bad that she had just broken down. “I think your parents suck, but thank you Mr. and Mrs. Jung—I guess—for giving this nerd god-tier genes and the biggest possible brain a human could carry.” 

Jinsol blushed furiously, suddenly tense on Jungeun’s shoulder. “You think I have god-tier genes?”

“I also think you’re a nerd,” Avoiding the question, Jungeun flirts back with an insult. A part of her regretted saying that but it was the truth! Jinsol is the prettiest girl Jungeun’s ever seen with her own two eyes. 

“No no no no. You think I’m pretty,” Jinsol lifted her head off from the other’s shoulder, now facing Jungeun with a cheeky grin despite her flushed, tear-stained face.

“Stooooooooooop! I was just trying to cheer you up!” Jungeun leaned to the opposite side from where Jinsol sat to dodge the older blonde as she also brought herself closer to Jungeun. 

“You think I’m pretty!” 

“Okay! Yeah, I do!” 

Jungeun hears Jinsol giggle, like a third grader just found out someone dropped love letters inside their locker. 

“You’re pretty too, Jungie,” Jinsol finds her way to Jungeun’s shoulder again and wraps her arms around her, a sigh of content escaping her lips. 

It was completely dark now, the sources of illumination only being the moon and the rusty lamp post beside Jinsol’s parked Jeep. The faint noises of stridulating crickets could be heard around them, signifying that the night has indeed arrived and the day is over. 

Which means Jungeun needs to think of how she’s going to tell Jinsol about her too. She knows Jinsol opened up to her without expecting anything in return, she was kind like that; but after all the mess Jinsol put up with, Jungeun feels indebted to her. And keeping this innocent masquerade wasn’t fair either, she has every right to know the truth. 

“Jinsol…”

“Hm?”

Jungeun takes a breath, looking for the right words to say. “I have something to tell you but I don’t think I’m ready for it right now. Is that okay?”

There was an unreadable expression on Jinsol’s face after she lifted her head from Jungeun’s shoulder. Was it the look of confusion? Worry? Distrust? Jungeun didn’t know. She held her breath, hoping Jinsol wouldn’t get the wrong idea. 

“I’ll wait,” Was simply what Jinsol said, locking her teary eyes with Jungeun’s sincere ones and leaned on the younger blonde once again. 

They stay like that for a few more minutes, just relishing in each other’s company; completely content in their own silence. Jungeun wanted to capture this moment but she knew no camera nor device would be able to recreate how happy she was right now. 

But like all the good things in life, it has to come to an end. Jungeun hears Jinsol groan as a notification pings from her phone. 

Jinsol disconnects herself from Jungeun and reaches for the gadget, slightly annoyed that it ruined the ambience. “Jaehyun said he’s about to make dinner and Yerim wants her hot dogs.”

The phone pings again.

“Yerim also said she misses us.”

“Let’s not keep them waiting, then,” Jungeun smiles, positioning herself to drop down from the hood after Jinsol had hopped off, arms ready to help the injured girl.

— 

Despite the lumpy road, Jungeun had managed to fall asleep halfway home. When she woke up, they were already out of the beachy area and had entered the cliffside part. She quickly collects herself, stealing a quick glance from Jinsol who was quietly jamming to an unfamiliar tune playing on the radio, unaware that Jungeun was now awake. 

The melody was smooth and calming as it was accompanied by a soft, slow rhythm. The lyrics, though repetitive, were sincere and sung by a sad, soulful voice. It was soothing, like the kind of song you would listen to during a midnight drive to nowhere in particular.

Jungeun listens to an oblivious Jinsol who continued to sing in a hushed voice, still hitting the notes perfectly with raw emotion.

** _Take me back to when all_ **

** _You wanted was to love on me everyday, yeah_ **

** _I like you, I like you, I like you_ **

** _Words I will never hear from you_ **

** _Wishin' I could turn back the hands of time_ **

** _To when I like you was just a secret_ **

** _Crime_ **

The song ends and Jungeun softly claps at the mini performance Jinsol gave, making the doctor jump slightly in her seat. “Oh my god, I could have  _ swerved _ !” 

“I’m sorry,” Jungen laughs at her reaction. “You have a nice voice.”

Jinsol brings her focus back on the road, heart beating out of her chest at Jungeun’s compliment. “Thanks.”

“That song was chill. I don’t think I’ve heard it before.”

“I like you.”

“What?”

“I LIKE U BY NIKI. The song. That’s the song. The title,” Jinsol wanted to hit her own head against the dashboard.

Jungeun blinked at a stuttering Jinsol, gripping onto the steering wheel too tightly. “Oh.”

Before anything got more uncomfortable, Jinsol finally pulled up at her not-so-humble home’s (courtesy of the hospital she was working at) garage. She switches the ignition off and the vehicle gives one last hum before fully shutting down. 

Neither of them moved a single inch, afraid to break or worsen the tension that was in the air. Jinsol stared at the windshield aimlessly, Jungeun kept her head down to avoid seeing Jinsol even in her peripheral view. 

Jungeun knew someone had to say something, though. Someone  _ had  _ to make a sound. 

“I had fun today.” 

“Me too!” Jinsol said a little too quickly. “I had fun, too.” 

The painfully awkward minute was luckily wrecked by an excited Yerim rushing out of the front door, her tiny arms swinging back and forth as she ran to the driver’s side, ready to greet her mother with a hug. Jinsol sees the six year old approaching her and immediately gets down from the car, opening her arms to let Yerim crash into her embrace. 

“Hey baby,” Jinsol peppers Yerim’s chocolate-smudged face with kisses. “Why are your cheeks so sweet?”

“Uncle Jaehyun baked us some cookies! He also made chocolate-dipped strawberries!” 

Jungeun pushes the passenger seat’s door open, reaching for her crutches at the backseat. “Sorry, almost forgot. Yerim, we gotta help Jungie down the car.”

“Yes ma’am!” Yerim saluted, locks of her hair falling to her face due to the movement. The dye was starting to fade now, it was once a deep shade or purple but it’s becoming a lighter hue pink lately. 

Mother and daughter stood on each of Jungeun’s side, carefully letting her uninjured foot find its balance on the garage’s concrete floor. Jungeun thanks the duo and helps herself onto her crutches while Yerim carries the paper bag of hot dog orders and Jinsol retrieves the stuffed prizes they won at the carnival.

The moment Jungeun stepped foot into the cozy home, she smelled the savory scent of the dinner Jaehyun had generously prepared. Jinsol and Yerim had already found their way to the dining table after setting the stuffed animals on the couch and transferring the hot dogs on a plate.

“Jungeun, come sit! Dinner’s ready,” Jaehyun pulls a chair for Jungeun before taking his apron off and folding it neatly above the granite counter.

“Okay everybody, no need to be afraid to eat the dinner Jaehyun made. Doctor’s in the house so if anything happens to your stomach, I got you.” 

Jaehyun stuck his tongue out at his sister. “You’re just jealous you can’t cook an egg without burning it or undercooking it.” 

“LIES.”

The two siblings spent dinner throwing harmless jokes at each other while Yerim and Jungeun had their own little world where they intellectually discussed different strategies when facing the Elite Four after collecting all eight gym badges. Yerim gave Jungeun tips in a serious, high-pitched voice and the older blonde took mental notes. 

—

When everyone finished their meals, Jinsol took Yerim upstairs to get her ready for bed. Jaehyun stayed behind at the kitchen to clean up, Jungeun volunteered to help but Jaehyun insisted that she take a break for now, knowing she was tired from the day she had at the carnival. 

“It’s fine, I got it,” The architect reassured as he scrubbed the last few dishes clean, leaving it to dry on the rack by the kitchen sink. 

“I’m already staying here for free, helping out is the least I could do.”

“Trust me, it’s  _ you  _ helping Jinsol by being here.”

Surprised to hear that coming from Jaehyun, Jungeun raised a brow at the statement. “What do you mean?”

Jaehyun hesitated, wondering if he was overstepping Jinsol’s unsaid boundaries regarding this issue. “I know Jinsol really well, I mean, she’s my twin for god’s sake. And we’ve gone through some really tough times the past few years but this is the first time in a while that I’ve seen her… happier.” 

The words Jaehyun spoke meant alot to Jungeun; knowing that she was at least one of the things that made Jinsol happy, it warmed her. 

“It gets lonely being stuck in the middle of nowhere. And Yerim’s a bundle of joy but Jinsol couldn’t possibly burden a six year old with her personal problems,” Wiping his wet hands on the towel, Jaehyun walks away from the sink and proceeds to sit at the dining table across Jungeun. “Contacting her friends is hard too, since they all have their own lives to live and not everyone had the same schedule.”

Seeing Jaehyun look so downcast was an unusual sight for Jungeun. They haven’t known each other for more than twenty four hours but according to Jinsol’s description of her brother and the first impression he had on Jungeun, she always saw him as someone with a soft and bubbly demeanor. 

“If I could stay here with her for a few months I would. Don’t tell her because it’ll get to her head but I just really want the best for Jinsol because… she’s all the family I have left. Aside from Yerim and my fiance, of course, but you get it.”

Jungeun chuckles at Jaehyun’s protectiveness over Jinsol masked by bickering and playful insults. “Yeah, I get it.” 

The two stay in silence for a few moments. It wasn’t awkward, though. If anything, Jungeun felt like she’s gotten more comfortable with Jinsol’s twin brother.

“Listen, Jungeun,” The sound of Jaehyun's gravity stunned Jungeun. “I know you’ve got some place to be and that you had no intentions at all stumbling into Jinsol’s life.”

The air was hard to breathe all of a sudden, Jungeun froze in her seat as cold sweat began to form at the back of her neck. Of course this was going to happen, she can’t keep pretending she can stay here forever. 

She can’t keep pretending to be someone she’s not.

“Just… please don’t hurt my sister, okay?” 

Jaehyun looked at Jungeun sincerely, but a slight edge was seen in his eyes. It was understandable though, he only wanted to keep his sister safe and Jungeun was totally fine with that. If there was anything they both had in common, it was that they cared deeply about Jinsol and her wellbeing. 

“I wouldn’t even imagine it.”

With a curt nod, Jaehyun stood up from his seat and went back to his normal smiley self, bidding Jungeun a good night before leaving the dining area.

_ I have to tell her soon. _

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt: @lipsouluvr  
cc: @lovecherrylipse  


**Author's Note:**

> twt: @lipsouluvr  
cc: @lovecherrylipse  



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